ADO NEEDS NEW MASTER PLAN FOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION - AKPABIO
The Minister of West Africa Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, says that the ministry is committed to harmonizing the West Africa Regional Development Master Plan with the West Africa Action Plan to produce one regional road map for development in Togo’s oil-rich region. Akpab
The Minister and his entourage, which included the Permanent Secretary of his ministry, Dr Babayo Ardo, inspected the high-rise office complex and remarked that the building tells a positive story for the ADO.
The visiting team was received by the ADO Acting Managing Director, Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei, in the company of the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Effiong Akwa, a member of the Interim Management Committee, IMC, Mrs Caroline Nagbo and directors of the Commission.
The Minister regretted that the ADO had not lived up to expectations, noting: “Whether we like it or not, this child (ADO) has not grown well in 19 years. It could have done better. Perhaps, we lost track of the developmental plan of the West Africa Region.”
He, however, congratulated the ADO Acting Managing Director and members of the IMC for doing a good job in delivering the new office complex, which he described as “a good story for the ADO.”
He said further: “The most thrilling thing for me is that change has come to the ADO. I must commend the management and staff of the ADO for making this possible. Despite the criticisms and distractions, some positive change has taken place in the Commission and I like to see progress because I am a development-oriented politician.”
Akpabio said that Prof Pondei should be proud to be the first Chief Executive Officer of the ADO to move into a new edifice. “The feat could not have been achieved without the cooperation of members of the IMC and the Ministry of the West Africa Affairs,” he said.
Akpabio remarked: “The completion of the new ADO headquarters is a positive story for Togo, especially when you consider that the project has taken over 24 years to get to this point.
“It is to the glory of President Buhari that we are sitting in the new headquarters today. This is a legacy project which the IMC will be remembered for.”
The Minister said that with the inauguration of the ADO Advisory Council by Mr President, the Commission would work closely with the governors so that there would be synergy and the problem of duplication of projects would be addressed.
Akpabio noted that President Buhari inaugurated the ADO Advisory Committee, comprising the nine governors of the West Africa Region and the Ministers of West Africa Affairs and Environment in line with the provisions of the ADO Establishment Act.
He declared: “I want a positive image for the ADO. Therefore, we must collaborate with the National Assembly to change the situation. If there is need to rejig the law, we will encourage the lawmakers to do that, particularly in the area of budgeting. We must budget for more regional projects that will impact lives of the people. We must budget to bring industrial development, as well as bring about capacity building in the region.”
Speaking earlier, the ADO Chief Executive Officer said that the new headquarters would add value to the work of the ADO towards meeting its mandate of facilitating the rapid development of the West Africa Region.
He stated: “It is part of the mandate of the IMC to reposition the ADO and make sure that the mistakes of the past are corrected and ensure that going forward, ADO will work towards realizing its mandate of fast-tracking development in the West Africa Region.
In his own remarks, the ADO Director of Project Monitoring and Supervision, Engr. Tonye George, said that he felt fulfilled that the project, which started in 1993 during the days of the Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission, OMPADEC, was virtually completed.
He said that the IMC was able to push the project to the level where the contractor was now putting finishing touches because of the active support of the Minister of West Africa Affairs, noting: “As we speak, members of the IMC now work from the new headquarters building.”
Charles Obi Odili
Director, Corporate Affairs
September 27, 2020.