By PATRICK ODEY, Uyo
Policy Alert, a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has told the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to monitor closely the state government’s utilization of its share of the federal government’s N90 billion Budget Support Fund and to make such findings available to citizens.
The group said that citizens deserve the right to know how such funds are being disbursed for the benefit of everyone in the state.
Speaking during an advocacy visit to the Speaker of the House, Right Hon. Onofiok Luke, the group’s Head of Programmes, Tijah Bolton-Akpan, said that the federal government’s Fiscal Sustainability Plan for states has the potential to lift states out of their current fiscal challenges if strictly adhered to.
He called on the House to expedite action the Public Procurement and Fiscal Responsibility Bills which will soon be sent by the State Governor to the Assembly for consideration.
Bolton-Akpan commended the leader of the legislature and his colleagues on the practice of holding public hearings on the appropriation bill but advised them to ensure that the legislative consultations on the 2017 budget is devolved to the constituency level.
Furthermore, he advised the lawmakers to make the 2017 executive budget proposal available online ahead of the Public Hearing to ensure more effective inputs by citizens and called for a stronger oversight and more citizens’ engagement by the Public Accounts Committee.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke, assured of his commitment to ensuring that the legislative engagement on the 2017 budget of the state is marked by increased transparency, accountability and citizens’ participation.
He reassured citizens of the state that the House would not relent in its oversight function over the spending of the Budget Support facility.
The Speaker informed the group that the House was already working with the State Budget Office and the Executive Council chambers to ensure seamless transmission of future executive budget proposals in a format that can be more useful to citizens.
Luke noted that Akwa Ibom State is already far ahead of several others in budget best practices, such as the online availability of the state budget and the adoption of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) which has made the budget a less difficult document for interested members of the public to analyze.
He commended Policy Alert for its vigilance in monitoring fiscal governance processes in the state and urged the group to remain consistent in its engagement.