The USAID State Accountability, Transparency, and Effectiveness (STATE2STATE) Activity has concluded a quarterly Budget Performance hearing between the Ebonyi state House of Assembly and some relevant sectors in the State.
The hearing which was held at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, involved Ministries of Education, Health and Water Resources. Other ministries and parastatals ncluding Finance, Budget and Planning, Civil Society Organisation and Agencies were in attendance.
Declaring the hearing open , the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chief Moses Ije Odunwa reiterated the commitment of the Assembly towards ensuring total compliance with budget proposals in the state for the budget to meet up with the People's Charter of Needs Mantra of the State Governor.
He directed that all House Committees on the priority sectors including Public Accounts should liaise with all relevant bodies and authorities to identify and close all gaps in budget implementation in the state.
Chief Odunwa commended USAID State2State for its activities in Ebonyi State which he said has greatly improved and imparted positively on both budget preparation and implementation in the state.
The Ebonyi State Team Lead of USAID State2State, Dr. Sam Onyia stated that the programme was to review the performances of the budget, discuss the outcome and make recommendations for an improved budget implementation in Ebonyi State adding that in the last review by the States Fiscal Transparency League Table in Quarter1 of 2024, Ebonyi came 5th in the rankings in Nigeria.
In a paper presentation on Ebonyi state Quarter 1 2024 Budget Performance on Priority sectors the USAID State2State Citizens Engagement and Capacity Building Specialist and Facilitator of the programme, (title) Mounachiso Odulana, said that the review will enable the state government and stakeholders to monitor the allocation and utilisation of financial resources across the sectors and government entities.
The USAID Local Government Manager, Mrs Victoria Eze while speaking on resolutions from the last quarterly review said that more is needed to be done as it was observed that there were some sub-standard projects executed, vandalization of educational structures, inadequate number of teachers and the need to have Primary Healthcare under one roof.
In their separate speeches,the Chairman House Committee on Water Resources, Mrs Chinyere Nwogbaga, her counterpart in Education, Mr. Aloysius Nwodo, that of Health, Mrs Esther Agwu and in Public Accounts, Mr. Godwin Abiri all said that the workshop has equipped them and would help them intensify efforts in carrying out their legislative and oversight functions.
Others who spoke include the member representing Ohaozara East, Mr. Chikezie Igu, his counterpart from Izzi East, Mr.Goodluck Mbam, Commissioner for Education, Prof. Paul Nwobashi, the Executive Secretary, Primary Healthcare, Dr.Philip Ovuoba and the representative of the CSO network, Mr. Israel Mbam commended the USAID State2State for opening communication channels between the legislators and the Executives.
The Deputy Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Comrade Chinedu Onah in a closing remarks, extolled the USAID State2State for making stakeholders in the priority sectors to sit up to their responsibilities and assured that members of the State House Of Assembly will make use of what they have learnt to bring about changes in the state budget implementation and expressed satisfaction with the State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru for bringing on board capable hands that will make his administration to be successfull.
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