BudgIT engages CSOs on budgeting transparency in Ekiti

The BudgIT Foundation has organised a capacity building workshop for Civil Society Organizations in Ekiti State on budget analysis, visualisation and monitoring to ensure transparency and accountability in government.

The two-day training which took place in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital was attended by different CSOs where they were exposed to how best to interrogate the government’s budget towards effective implementation.

The BudgIT program officer, Henry Omokhaye, noted that the workshop with support from National Endowment for Democracy (NED) was put together to enhance the state derived maximum benefits from the openness and transparency needed for inclusive development and efficient service delivery.

According to him, “The overall goal of this workshop is to improve the capacity of open alliance civil society organizations in analysis, visualisation and interrogating fiscal documents especially the budget document for effective engagement in open government partnership to promote transparency and accountability in Ekiti State.

“More than ever citizens are very much interested in being part of the decision on how public wealth is being expended, citizens are seeking more roles in the planning, formulation, implementation and monitoring of the budget to ensure transparency and accountability for improved service delivery.”

He noted that the foundation acknowledged the efforts of the administration of Dr Kayode Fayemi in the last three years in promoting transparency and accountability in its budgeting process which centres around the people.

“Ekiti was the first sub-national government in Nigeria to pass her Freedom Of Information (FOI). We might not be where we wish to be as a state in terms of transparency and accountability, we are not where we used to be as a state,”
Omokhaye said.

Speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on civil society matters, Abiodun Oyeleye while commending the foundation for the workshop, emphasized the need for the CSOs to be adequately involved in the decision making of the government, especially the budget process.

He revealed that the administration has in the last three years has displayed a high level of transparency and accountability in its operation, which he said resulted in recent ratings of the state by both local and foreign firms in the financial index.

On his part, the leader of the CSOs in Ekiti, Professor Christopher Oluwadare disclosed that the people looked up to the CSOs for a positive change in the society by bringing to the fore the challenges facing the citizens and proffer workable solutions to the government.

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BudgIT engages CSOs on budgeting transparency in Ekiti