Budget: Foundation harvests grassroots inputs into citizens’ engagement strategy document

Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation (DIG), a civil society organisation, has harvested the input of community stakeholders in Ebonyi State into the draft citizens engagement and participation strategy document.

 

The draft document had earlier been reviewed at the state level engagement by a technical committee comprising of civil society organisations, other non state actors and representatives of key Ministries, Departments and Agencies as state actors.

 

The document when finalized will prescribe step-by-step approach on how government should engage the citizens in the budget process to ensure that community priority needs are effectively captured.

 

The consultative meeting tagged: “Zonal Stakeholders consultations on Ebonyi Citizens Engagement and Participation Strategy” took place from october 21 to 23 for North, Central and South senatorial zones of the State, respectively.

 

It was part of DIG Foundation’s project: Advancing Citizens Engagement Strategies for Participatory and Accountable Local Governance, (ACES4PALG) in Ebonyi state, with support from Nigeria Youth Futures Fund.

 

It was held at the Local government Service Commission headquarters, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.

 

Stakeholders at the meeting included Traditional rulers, Town Union Presidents and other executive members; chairman and members of the state House of Assembly committee on Public Accounts; planning, research and statistics staff of local government areas, religious leaders as well as community women and youth leaders, among others,

 

Executive Director, DIG Foundation, Oliver Chima Aja, stating the objectives of the meeting said it was to harvest the contributions of the locals to further shape the final outcome of the document, which he emphasized was geared towards consolidation, institutionalization and sustainability of all reform initiatives, in line with the People’s Charter of Needs mantra of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration.

 

Aja added: “What this means is that even if the permanent secretaries and other present bureaucrats who are citizen oriented retires, there’s already a document on ground on how Ebonyi citizens are being engaged in the budget process for the incomings to work with.”

 

Some of the stakeholders who spoke to newsmen, including the traditional ruler of Mgbom n’echara community in Ohaozara LGA, Eze Chukwuka Okorie; those of Okpuitumo in Abakaliki and Nkaleke in Ebonyi LGA, Eze Stephen Ukpa and Sunday Oketa respectively, applauded DIG Foundation for the initiative.

 

They acknowledged that the document would enhance participatory governance and build trust between the government and the governed.

 

Eze Chukwuka Okorie summarized; “This is a very welcome development, such that we will no longer be in the dark of what government is doing in our communities.

 

Whatever project the government need to site in our communities should emanate from us, the rural population.

 

“This is a very great innovation in the area of governance which we have not experienced before now.

 

“I commend DIG Foundation for its passion on affairs that impact the lives of citizens”.

 

Other community stakeholders who spoke, including Chief Donatus Orji from Edda LGA, the state Chairman of the Association of Town union Presidents, Augustine Akpu, his Vice, Emmanuel Chukwu and Chief Gabriel Uroh Ewa, town union President of Ibii/Ozziza community in Afikpo LGA, described the meeting as timely, going by the need for the rural dwellers to be active players in their own affairs.

 

They promised to take the message of the meeting home to sensitize their people of their right to make input in governance.

 

Chukwu stressed: “This programme came at the right time.

 

“We have been pushing to have inputs in the budget making in the State but most often we have been lagging behind because we are not carried along.

 

“Involving us in this meeting gives us greater confidence that our voices matter.”

 

Part of the submissions of the stakeholders is that the document be translated in vernacular to enable rural dwellers benefit from its provisions.

 

In their separate goodwill messages, some state actors present at the meeting: House of Assembly committee chairman on Public Account, Godwin Abiri and his vice, Stephen Orji Igwe; the Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Chief Romanus Nwasum, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget, Lady Rose Ugwuoma Ibe, and the State Auditor-General, Mrs Agatha Nnenna Ekuma, harped on the imperative of citizens’ active participation in the budget process.

 

While Abiri assured that as the representative of the people, he would use his position to advance the strategies of people centred governance in line with the Governor’s Charter of Needs agenda, Ekuma commended the Governor for the transparent disposition of his administration.

 

Ekuma emphasized that Ebonyi at present ranks among the top states in Nigeria maintaining yearly efficient Citizens Accountability Report.

 

The project Lead consultant and Development expert, Dr. Ibiam Azu Agwu in an interview, explained that the major import of the meeting was to harness local content to enable the strategy document align with the dreams and aspirations of the citizens who are the end users.

 

“The essence is that by the end of this meeting, we can proudly say that the citizens engagement strategy document is a true reflection of what the citizens can actually, proudly and confidently use to engage government towards ensuring that whatever they get from government actually reflect their felt needs.” Agwu summed.

 

Highlight of the meeting was the distribution of the 2024 Citizens Accountability Report on the implementation of the 2024 state budget by the Auditor-General of the state.