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| Cross River State Government and CounterHouse Consultants Ltd representatives in a photo session immediately after the signing ceremony |
Nyok|19 April 2019
The Cross River State Government, CRSG Thursday awarded a contract worth €3. 341 million (equivalent to N1, 341, 669, 359 billion) for the upgrade and re-implementation of the State Integrated Financial Management Information System, SIFMIS which is an aspect of the European Union (EU)-funded and World Bank-managed State and Local Government Reform Project (SLOGOR) NEGROIDHAVEN can say authoritatively.
The contract which has a lifespan of less than six months was awarded to CounterHouse Consultants Ltd, and involves a gargantuan deployment of infrastructures aimed at a sustainable and effective Oracle Financial System which is already existing; it is an integral part of the state government’s disposition to revamp and integrate its Financial Management Information System to be in synch with the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS).
The contract signing ceremony which took place at the Establishment Building, New Secretariate in Calabar the state capital city had Mr Rotimi Olugbohungbe the lead representative for CounterHouse and Mr Joseph A. Mbufe the Project Coordinator (SLOGOR) signing on behalf of CounterHouse and the State Government respectively with Mr Emmanuel Okokon the Procurement Officer of SLOGOR witnessing for the state government.
In an interview with the Commissioner for International Development Corporation immediately after the event it was learnt that the core essence of the project is to digitalise the financial systems of the state. He explained that the contract was a blending of two components into one involving upgrading and infrastructure. According to him, ‘There are two components that are involved in this contract merged in one because the contractors we sorted for are competent. We have a system already that needs to be upgraded. First component is the upgrade and the second one will be the infrastructure that will go round the eighteen MDAs. So, all the eighteen MDAs will be functional. Whatever you do there will be accessed anywhere.’
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| CounterHouse signing |
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| CRSG rep signing |
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| CRSG rep on handshake with CounterHouse representatives |
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| A permanent secretary in CRSG in handshake with CounterHouse representatives |
On his part, Mr Olugbohungbe who expressed happiness disclosed that his organisation does not have failed projects to its credit assured the state government that his organisation will deliver according to international standards and best practices should she get the required corporation of the state government. According to him, ‘it is a thing of joy for so many reasons one of which is when you have an opportunity to do what you know how to do best, for people that are also enthusiastic to see the results of your work, then the chemistry becomes seamless’.
According to SLOGOR Communications advisor Mr Jerry Ashiple the project anticipates a long term strategy according to which ‘Information Communications Technology (ICT) will be integrated into the operations of Cross River State Government and its MDAs.
‘It is also geared towards adopting best practices in public sector financial management for the Cross River State Government by upgrading and re-implementating the existing oracle based integrated business application to support core financial and budgeting processes as part of phase 1 of the ICT transformation for the state.
‘Prior to the financial engagement of CounterHouse consortium for this assignment, the National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU) of State and Local Government Reform Project (SLOGOR) had engaged the services of expert consultants to provide technical and quality assurance support towards successful execution of the State Financial Management Information System (SIFMIS) currently being implemented under the European Union (EU) funded/World Bank managed project in Cross River State.’
It should be emphasised that the SIFMIS programme is a robust information system for the automation/ computerisation of the financial management operations of the benefiting states of SLOGOR project by the use of computer systems integrated on one platform. The system which is being implemented across the six participating states of Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa, Osun, Kano and Yobe if completed shall have core business functions/modules of General Ledger, Budgeting and Funds Management, Account Receivables and Account Payables. Others include Treasury Management and Bank Reconciliation, Controls, Administration and Financial Reporting as well as Employee management and payroll administration.
Efio-Ita Nyok is the blogger-in-chief, editor-in-chief and publisher of NEGROIDHAVEN
