By Israel Mbam
As part of Ebonyi State budget preparation process, network of civil society Organizations in the State have commenced sensitization and mobilization of communities for collection and submission of their Community Charter of Demand for inclusion in the State 2025 Budget.
The CCD preparation collection and submission was part of the activities at a three day senatorial and federal constituencies multi Stakeholders town hall meeting held recently in the State by Civil Society Organizations under the aegis of Green-the-Red Health Sector Cluster with Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation, DIG, as the anchor Organization.
The citizens engagement for CCD Collection was also part of activities in the implementation of the USAID-Palladium SCALE project meant to Addressing Accountability and Budgetary Concerns for Sustainable Healthcare in Ebonyians State, ABC4SHE.
Community leaders and other stakeholders from Ebonyi Central zone, Ebonyi North Zone, Abakaliki/Izzi and Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituencies attended the town hall meetings. Participants, including Traditional rulers, Women and youth leaders; representatives of faith-based Organizations Ward Development Committees and other community based organisations as well as people with disabilities interfaced in their various groups and collectively to arrive at each community's priority needs for the CCD.
Declaring the town hall meeting open, the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mrs. Mfon Williamson, commended the cooperation and synergy existing between the State Government and Civil Society Organizations, describing the relationship as a driver of good governance. She noted that CCD projects is a major component of the State Budget and encouraged Community leaders to always monitor and protect Government projects in their communities.
Delivering the statement of purpose for the meeting, the Executive Director of DIG Foundation, Chief Oliver Chima Ajah, explained that the town hall meeting was to build capacity of participants on the techniques of Preparing Community Charter of Demands as well as harvest the priority needs of the communities.
He commended the Ministry of Budget and Planning as well as the line Ministries, Departments and Agencies for ensuring that some of the Citizens' inputs harvested through the CCD exercise were included in the 2024 State budget.
Chief Ajah who is the anchor person for the cluster members stressed that the focus of the Green-the-Red Health Sector Cluster was to ensure improved funding and budget implementation for the health sector.
He noted that the CSO Cluster had trained Planning, Research and Statistics officers of relevant MDAs, Ward Development Committee members, Town Union Executives and some CSOs on Budget processes and the use of CCD in health sector budget input. And expressed optimism that the 2025 Citizens' inputs inclusion in the budget would surpass that of 2024.
In their goodwill messages, some of the participants, including the traditional rulers of Mbeke Ishieke in Ebonyi LGA, Eze Peter Ukpamazi, Umuagara Community in Ohaukwu LGA, Eze Chinedum Chibueze Agbo and the traditional Prime Minister of Nkaleke Echara Unuhu, Chief George Nwiboko, DIG Foundation advisor Dr. Emma Abbah, among others, commended DIG and the Cluster group for the initiative.They said the exercise has further assured them that their voices count in governance of the state.
The harmonized priority needs captured in the CCD at the meeting were later submitted in a Community Charter of Demand, CCD document to the Ministry of Budget and planning.
Receiving the CCD documents derived from the meeting, the Director, Planning, Ministry of budget, Chijioke Ogbodo and the Statistician, Moses Uto, pledged to ensure that the people's priority needs are given added attention in 2025 budget preparation.
The exercise continues to other senatorial zones of the State.
