2025 Budget: State2State Trains Stakeholders on Collation of Citizens Input in State, LG Budget in Akwa Ibom
By Ekemini Simon
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity in Akwa Ibom State has trained the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Local Government officers on how best to collate community needs projects for inclusion in the 2025 budget of the focal MDAs and LGAs.
The training tagged ” Workshop on Orientation and Helpdesk for Community Charter of Demands (CCD)” which spanned from Tuesday through Wednesday in Uyo also built the capacity of CSOs and MDAs to track implementation, resolve issues arising from the collation process as well as necessary follow up and mentoring for sustainability of the CCD process.
Before the workshop, State2State had provided technical support to citizens groups in Akwa Ibom state on the development and deployment of the Community Charter of Demands (CCD). This led to the adoption of the CCD as a core part of the annual budget process in the state with citizens and community nominated projects identified using the CCD included in State/LG annual budgets.
In his welcome remarks, the State2State Team Lead in Akwa Ibom State, Borve Paago-Imabel commended the stakeholders in their effort in supporting the work of State2State in making the budget space in the Akwa Ibom State to become liberalised and democratised.
Represented by the Local Government Manager of State2State, Dr. Iboro Nelson, the Team Lead said the capacity building is geared towards institutionalising liberal budget process of the State especially as State2State was winding down its Activity.
“We want you to be the face of State2State in your various MDAs. You can in your own little way make reforms introduced possible and sustainable. When there is that consensus that this is the way to go, you can always have it. Don’t forget that the MDAs are the barracks while the government is the army that comes in. The staff of the MDAs will always remain. So, endeavor to make the reforms sustainable by implementing the reforms and teaching others “, the State Team Lead added.
In his presentation on the domestication of the CCD in Akwa Ibom State and Local Government Councils, the Director General of the Akwa Ibom State Fiscal Responsibility Board, Mr. Victor Edet thanked State2State for introducing the CCD template used in the State budget process noting that it has enhanced citizens ownership of government projects and programmes.
The Director General noted that Section 22(7) and (12) of Akwa Ibom State Fiscal Responsibility Law (FRL) requires both the State’s MDAs and every Local Government Councils to open their budget process for public participation even to the point of making available portion of their Budget Call Circular to consult all its stakeholders including Citizens groups.
He called on MDAs and CSOs to effectively use the CCD template in harvesting the needs of communities as the budget call circular for 2025 budget was already out.
Speaking with TheMail Newspaper on the sidelines of the workshop, a participant, the Executive Director of Policy Alert, Tijah Bolton-Akpan commended State2State for the training. He noted that his organisation will effectively utilize the CCD template in meeting communities that are in dire need for developmental projects towards inclusion in the 2025 budget.
He however called on the government to prioritize the funding of citizens nominated projects stressing that the funds used in the implementation of the budget actually belongs to the citizens.