By Godwin Ajom
With a recurrent expenditure of N116 billion making up 39.1 percent and a capital expenditure of N181 billion of 60.9% of the 2024 N296.9 billion “People’s First” Budget of Cross River State, it is expected to deliver on seven unique Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This includes zero hunger, good health and well-being; quality education, clean water and sanitation, decent work and economic growth, industry innovation and infrastructure, as well as peace justice and strong institutions.
With the first quarter (Q1) of the 2024 Cross River State Budget Performance Report by the budget office, stakeholders have moved to probe the report, despite the signing of a supplementary budget recently.
This and more formed the basis for the one-day refresher training on budget Tracking, Monitoring and Advocacy, organized by ActionAid Nigeria through the Inclusive Forum for Accountable Society (IFAS), in collaboration with Basic Rights Council Initiative (BRCI) and the Budget Transparency and Accountability Network (BUTAN) in their Local Rights Project across three most economically disadvantaged local governments areas in the State.
The project seeks to track the implementation of the budget releases for the first quarter of 2024, evaluate the performance of the Q1 2024 budget performance published by the state government, review effects of releases or no releases and cross-examine releases that did not translate to implementation or performance.
Speaking to CrossRiverWatch after the training, James Ibor, Esq. noted that “The local rights projects which we are implementing are focused on selected communities across three local governments due to paucity of funds.” Stressing “We are working in three local governments based on the World Bank’s poverty index for Cross River State which ranked Biase Bekwarra and Obubra as the poorest of the 18 Local Governments. The ranking shows that the three LGAs represent North Central and Southern Cross River State.”
He said they are focused on poorest communities in the poorest local governments – Idoma, Abredang in Biase, Edondon and Ofumbogha 4 in Obubra; Afrike 1 and 2, and Akaba and Adashi communities in Bekwarra LGA. “These are very poor interior communities to work with,” Ibor added.
Earlier, Otu Otu Ita, Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Budget, said the essence of the training is to expose participants to the basic details of budget implementation.
The SA notes that the “Peoples First Budget” is performing optimally and with the removal of subsidy by the federal government, it’s expected that more revenue will come to the State.
In his recommendations, Mr. Inyang Enene Ogbu, Director of Budget, Biase Local Government, said before the Supreme Court ruling for local government autonomy, their budget preparation was limited to heads of departments but they, however, will enlighten chiefs, traders among others, when a local government chairman is elected.
Inyang, while applauding the organizers for the training, also recommended that “when we get the next batch of elected LGA Chairmen, let IFAS, BRCI and their partners come down and educate the local government Chairman because the powers of controlling finance rely so much on them.”
The exercise was attended by government MDAs, media professionals and private organizations in Cross River State.
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