By Sylvester Egede.
In continuation of its resolve to have an improved governments ability to plan and budget, raise revenues, increase responsiveness to citizens needs and priorities, manage conflict and oversee service delivery, The USAID Nigeria State Accountability, Transparency, and Effectiveness State2State Activity has carried out the first quarter Budget Performance Reviews for the priority MDA’s and Local Governments in Ebonyi State.
This Budget performance review was on health, education, water, sanitation and Hygiene and was held at the Osborn Lapalm Hotel, Abakaliki.
In the review, Barr. Nkem Chukwu representing the Civil Society Organization and a Legal Practitioner highlighted the importance of the review meeting as it will help to know if the government has been meeting up with the common needs of the populace and how to make the government improve on budget performance and implementation.
She commended the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for improving the welfare provision for the people, a pointer to the fact that he is keeping with the budget proposals in the state.
Barr. Chukwu also commended the State2State for establishing more relationships between the Government and the Civil Society Organizations adding that the CSOs now meet with the Government to discuss ways forward for the State.
Equally, the Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Secondary Education Hon. Peter Nwogbaga said that his ministry has started the implementation of the 2024 budget as the construction of 22 Classroom blocks in 39 secondary schools across the 13 Local Government Areas in the State have commenced adding that in the 2nd quarter of the year more will be done.
Hon. Nwogbaga commended the State Activity in Ebonyi Educational sector adding that their intervention has made them have a realistic budget performance in the Ministry of Education.
The Acting Auditor General for Local Government Mr. James Nwusulor said the State2State activity has helped greatly in the preparation of the 2024 budget and this will continue in all other years, as they are now abreast of the rudiments of Budget Preparation.
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly Committee on Public Account Clerk, Mr. Ben Nwofoke said that the committee has learnt a lot from the series of workshops organized by the State2State Activity in budget tracking.
Earlier, the Public Finance Manager in the State2State Activity, Mr. Chibueze Nwonye informed that the budget performance review will help to understand and know what the State Government has done to meet up with its budget proposals, especially as it concerns service delivery in the Health,. Education Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
Sylvester Egede is the Public Relations Officer at Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
