From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The National Project Coordinator, Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) Engr. Aminu Bodinga Mohammed has advised youths in the country to refrain from the Japa syndrome.
The “Japa Syndrome” is the rising tendency in the country where youths leave the country in droves in search for greener pastures abroad.
Engr. Mohammed said rather than “Japa” “we should be all out in our best to make the country liveable and work for all.”
He stated this in Calabar during his welcome address at the 2023 Training and Annual Retreat organized for staff of RAAMP across in the 20 participating states in Nigeria.
In his words, “‘nobody can develop the country for us. You may japa, you can’t take every member of your family along.
“Your parents, grandparents and other siblings will be left behind and your mind will often travel to them. So, let us put in our best to make the country liveable and work for all,” he said.
He advised participants at the retreat to utilize the opportunity of being part of the project to make meaningful impacts that will stand the test of time.
He added that RAAMP will make them contribute to the enhancement of mankind and also banish poverty to the barest minimum among rural people.
‘’This is one project that will make you contribute to the enhancement of mankind. It is in the development of rural infrastructure like this that your impact as SPIU and government can be felt the more.
“We hope to do much more to reach the hinterland and banish poverty to the barest minimum amongst the rural peoples,’’ the National Coordinator stressed.
He equally urged participants to pay maximum attention to all presentations that would be made by different consultants in the course of the training as such, according to him, will go a long way in helping them to carry out their assignments optimally with efficiency .
The National Coordinator added that plans are under the way to arrange a learning visit to India, Tanzania and Nepal being the countries that had done quite well in the area of rural road construction and management.
He said the twenty state structure of the project from the initial two would sooner or later enlarge to thirty seven, including the FCT.
He equally lauded what he called the exceptional performance of the Cross-Rivers State government and the Niger State government for adding to RAAMP mandate by choosing to asphalt the earthen rural roads.
In his remark, the Task Team Leader, [TTL] Engr. Tunji Ahmed called on the Project Coordinators to display leadership at the SPIU level by taking charge completely as this, according to him, will provide direction on how to achieve productive results at the end of the project.
Engr. Tunji admonished all officers of the State Project Implementation Unit [SPIU] to work as a team for the benefit of their respective states and country at large.
The Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade declared open the event.
The Governor was represented by the Commissioner of International Donor Cooperation, Dr. Inyang Asibong.
He described RAAMP as a multi-dimensional project of several benefits poised to uplift humanity and positively change the lives, especially of the rural dwellers.
Professor Ayade promised to keep supporting the laudable vision of RAAMP in its aim to make life more meaningful to rural dwellers across the country.