The Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State has convened a 10-day training workshop on a strategy development program.

The workshop, that brought together all the senior state and some national government officials, is expected to help in developing a three-year state development plan.

The event comes after the national Ministry of Finance sent a delegation to facilitate development plan workshops for all the Director Generals for the state ministries.

In his opening remarks on Wednesday, Governor Tong Akeen Ngor said the three-year plan includes the blueprint to cultivate one million feddan of rice and other crops, construction of one referral hospital in each county, and the construction of two boarding schools.

He added that other plans are the installation of water yards to provide clean water for consumption as well as the construction of roads to connect areas within the state to ease the movement of people.

“Development plans will be implemented by the state government that will boost the creation of job opportunities and provision of necessary basic services for the people,” Governor Tong explained.

He urged partners in the state to collaborate with the state government for the implementation of the development projects within the state.

The Acting State Minister of Finance Aguer Wol Aguer appreciated the Governor for initiating the plan saying the workshop would help in directing development activities based on priorities.

He said that the workshop would involve the South Sudan 2040 development plan, the African development agenda, and other plans and policies.

“The development plan will bring together the state government and the development partners to prioritize how to implement some of the development projects in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State,” said Aguer.

On his part, the Director of Sectoral Planning for the National Ministry of Finance Arop Nuoi Arop acknowledged the hospitality given by the state government.

Plans hatched

About two weeks ago, the Governor met with President Salva Kiir Mayardit and briefed him about the security situation in the state as well as the developmental projects his state government was carrying out.

The Governor told the President that road construction and many other developmental projects were ongoing. He assured the President of the full support of the citizens of Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal State towards the Transitional Government of National Unity.

Since his return, he had been steering various projects including meeting with political parties in the state to devise means to execute duties within the state.

He urged all the political parties to direct their duties towards service delivery to the people.

The Chairpersons and Secretaries of all political parties formed a committee that would create the Political Parties Forum comprised of all the political parties in the state.

On Tuesday, the Governor joined the public in the cleaning of the Teachers Training Institute (TTI) in Aweil Town and subsequently declared Tuesday as the day of general cleaning in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

This was an effort to prepare a conducive environment for athletes from 10 states and three administrative areas to participate in the November athletes’ competitions expected to take place in the state.