The Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has granted approval for the process of preparation of the successor medium term strategic plan expected to span 2014 – 2016.
He made the disclosure while
speaking at the opening of the 2013 conference of Directors of Planning,
Research and Statistics (DPRS) in the public service held in Ibadan on Monday.
This, the governor said, was
in line with the resolutions of the Joint Planning Board (JPB) and the National
Council on Development Planning (NCDP) held at Benue State in December 2012.
He described timely and
reliable statistics on social, economic and environmental conditions as key
factors for development, evidence-based planning and policy decisions which
require reliable and sound statistical basis.
Consequent upon this, he said
that his administration had enacted a law to reposition the State Statistical
System, with the aim of transforming the Department of Macro Statistics and
Research in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget into the State Bureau
of Statistics.
He also said that the process
of appointing a Statistician-General for the state was on to drive the system
that acknowledged that proper planning was a success factor in any
administration.
Governor Ajimobi commended the
National Planning Commission for involving the top management of the state
Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget in the review of the National
Implementation Plan (NIP) and the development of the National Integrated
Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP).
He expressed the hope that the
experience gathered from the exercise would improve them for better performance
in their various state assignments.
The governor also said that
that his government was looking forward to a successful conduct of the State
GDP computation at the earliest possible time.
``We continually desire
partnership with the National Planning Commission, the Office of the Senior
Special Assistant to the President on MDGs and our esteemed development
partners, in our journey towards the total transformation of our state,’’ he
said.
Governor Ajimobi noted that the
theme of the conference “The Imperatives
for Developing National, Regional and Sectoral Plans: Lessons Learnt from the
Implementation of the Transformation Agenda” was relevant and germane to
the development of the country.
``It will no doubt equip
planners at the Federal, States and Local Governments with requisite skills and
information to develop strategic plans that are in consonance with the
objectives of revamping the economy of this nation,’’ he said.
While describing strategic plan as a potent tool for good governance and development, he
said ``as a government, we are very clear in our dream of a better Oyo
State.
``We have espoused our vision of the state
at different fora and it is hinged on the core vision for the State as a state
where the people can be the best they can’’.
Governor Ajimobi charged the participants to,
at the end of the conference, come up with tangible and pragmatic strategies
towards harmonizing policy direction among the tiers of government, stressing
that this would no doubt give new directions to governance.
In his address, the Minister/Deputy Chairman
of National Planning Commission, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman said that the conference
would afford participants the opportunity to be acquainted with the key
findings of the mid-term report of the transformation agenda.
According to him, it will also provide them
the opportunity to review the extent of implementation of key recommendations
arising from the Katsina and other previous conferences towards enhanced growth
and development of the country.
