Anambra partners UNDP on social service integrity

THE social service delivery stratagem in Anambra State is set to receive more boosts as the state government goes into strategic partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to strengthen the integrity plans in the three key sectors of education, health and water sectors.

  Anambra State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mark Okoye, dropped the hint in Awka while declaring open a seminar organised for stakeholders from the three sectors, including representatives from Civil Society Organisations.

  Calling for sustained transparency in all public transactions in Anambra State, the commissioner who was represented by Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Leo Imoka, said the plans aimed at not only addressing individual cases of corruption but indeed to track the malaise anywhere it may be found.

  Explaining that since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 1-10 should be taken seriously for addressing issues concerning women, children and the vulnerable, the three integrity plans will help establish mechanisms to prevent and eliminate conditions for the emergence of corruption, unethical and unprofessional practices in all areas of functioning of the institution of the three sectors.

  According to him, the three integrity plans that will serve one for each sector is a strategic document that describes policies and measures that should be taken in order to ensure adequate integrity shield in key functions exercised by the three Ministries and their Department as well as Agencies.

  Also contributing, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Willie Obiano on Donor Agencies and State Focal Person for UNDP, Nneka Onwudiwe, stated that the journey to integrity plan started since 2014.

  She further disclosed that Gov. Obiano recently mandated all commissioners to nominate officers from their MDAs to form part of the anti-corruption committee in the state.

  Highlight of the event was presentation of the integrity plans by Chinwe Nweke, who described corruption as deadly, adding that change is difficult but not impossible.