Demand Charter: Ebonyi CSO calls for more citizen participation in 2023 budget processes

A civil society organization (CSO) based in Ebonyi State, the Development and Integrity Intervention Goals (DIG) Foundation, has called for sustainability of gains associated with accountability and sustainability of transparency State Budget (SFTAS) through citizen participation, especially with respect to budget processes in the state.

The Civil Society Groups Leader and Executive Director (DIG), Chief Oliver Ajah-Chima, stated this during the final submission of the Community Charter for Demand (CCD) and Use medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) for 2023 budget preparation, at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, yesterday.

Introducing CCD to Mr. Orlando Nwaze, Finance Commissioner Ajah expressed his joy at being associated with the development of the state and pleaded for a closer and stronger partnership between the ministry and CSOs in state, especially key sectors of the Ebonyi State Budget Advocacy Group.

Ajah noted that the Demand Charter essentially contained the harmonized needs of certain Ebonyi communities, particularly in the state-to-state priority sectors of primary health, basic education; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), which was developed by the DIG Foundation through community consultations with support from USAID State2State.

He then advocated with the state government to capture some of the activities not captured by USAID State2State in the state action plan developed by the State Transformation Committee S2S Project. 'Ebonyi.

He however commended the state government for activating the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and the state's high performance, fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability (SFTAS) from the World Bank.

His words “Specifically, this group calls for the use of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) developed by the state with support from USAID State2State for the preparation of the State's 2023 budget. Ebonyi, civil society should be involved in the development of the future MTEF.

“The ministry should make the MTEF available and accessible to CSOs and citizens, state adoption of the Community Demand Charter (CCD) for the preparation of the 2023 budget and MDAs to work closely together with CSOs on expanding CCD to cover more communities especially LGAs that USAID's State2State project does not cover”.

“We hope that with this regular meeting, a more cordial relationship and partnership will be built between the ministry, the state government and the state civil society for joint efforts towards achieving the sustainable development goals and democracy.

"We particularly congratulate the Honorable Commissioner for Education, Dr Sunday Nwange, the Director of the Ministry for CSO Recognition and Cordial Relationship," he said

Receiving the document, the State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Orlando Nweze, praised USAID and the DIG Foundation and the State Network of Civil Society Organizations general, for their partnership with the state government.

Nweze, represented by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry, Ms Mfon Williamson, has promised to adopt the document and ensure that some, if not all, of its recommendations are taken into account in the 2023 state budget .

She then urged the DIG Foundation and the Network to also route the document through relevant ministries, agencies and departments for proper documentation, regretting that the ministry had gone far in the process of preparing the 2023 budget.

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