USAID State2State, CSOs in Akwa Ibom call for Improved Funding of Social Sector, CCD in 2024
By Ekemini Simon
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) State Accountability, Transparency, and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity, alongside stakeholders from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Akwa Ibom State have called on the government of Akwa Ibom State to improve its funding of the social sector and projects contained in the Citizens Charter of Demand (CCD) in the State in the remaining quarters of the 2024 fiscal year.
The call was made during a 2-Day CSOs Quarterly Coordination meeting organised by State2State in Uyo on Monday through Tuesday.
The quarter’s meeting followed up on the implementation of CCD projects in the 2024 state budget, reviewed the last quarter’s budget performance report (quarter 1 of 2024), the 2022 Citizens Accountability Report and reviewed implementation of the CSOs Action Plan from last quarter’s meeting.
The participants in their observations during the reviews noted that less priority have been given to the social sector in comparison to the administrative sector.
While noting that implementation of projects in the social sector will positively affect live directly, they called on more funding to the sector especially in overhead releases to the Primary Healthcare Development Agency and recruitment of medical personnel to primary healthcare centres across the State in the remaining quarter of the 2024 fiscal year
The participants while commending the Government of Akwa Ibom State for the funding of some projects recommended by the citizens as contained in the CCD, they noted that the actual releases to those projects were low as compared to the percentage performance of Government House among other Ministries Departments and Agencies within the Administrative sector. They called on the government of Akwa Ibom State to take as priority the funding of projects in the 2024 CCD stressing that the funds are owned by the citizens and not the elites.
Earlier in his remarks, the State Team Lead of State2State Activity in Akwa Ibom State, Borve Paago-Imabel noted that since inception in Akwa Ibom state, State2State has continued to provide tailored trainings to Civil Society Organizations working in public financial management and service delivery sectors (Basic Education, Primary Health and WASH) in order to enhance their capacity to engage the government more productively, while representing the citizens.
He said this is the reason CSO clusters have been established along these thematic areas for implementation of the various resolutions and actions.
Paago-Imabel called on the CSOs not to let up in using informed data in engaging State Actors for improved governance noting that such engagement will continue to bear impacts.