By Godwin Otang
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the media have charged the government with Fiscal Responsibility and prudent management of public debts and funds in Cross River State.
The brainstorming session was held a few days ago in Calabar, the State capital.
Under the auspices of the Center for Transparency Advocacy (CTA); Hipcity Innovation Center, CLICE Foundation, and AdvoKC, gathered under the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) Project by Palladium International and organized by the OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative.
Mr. Oke Epia, the Executive Director of OrderPaper Advocacy Initiatives, in an address, said “We are having this interaction under the auspices of the Growth Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT) Project, a series of activities geared towards advocating for reforms in the Public Finance Management (PFM) space.”
Addressing the participants at the session, the Cross River State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Mike Odere, assured that the State government is committed to transparency, and accountability and needs all the support to succeed.
“It’s a collective problem for all of us, and I will tell you with so much emphasis, that for the past 15 years, there has not been any borrowing for the State that does not have the approval of the Dept Management Office (DMO). For me, borrowing as a State is not a problem, it is what you want to use the funds that you borrow that matters.
“We have pledged to be a people-first government. We want to be transparent and we need all the assistance we can get from every individual and organization in Cross River State.”
On his part, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, Nsa Gill, said the project is very instructive, especially for journalists.
He said laws guiding public finance management are already in place, and “I wish the State government takes the necessary steps to domesticate the Freedom of Information Act in the State, to show the level of transparency and help us to educate the people more.”
The Public Relations Officer for Partners for Peace in Cross River State – Solomon Ndem and Mrs. Affiong Clement of Green Concerns for Development (Green Code) called for commitment, openness, and transparency in governance.
