Politics
SAY No Campaign, a Non-Governmental Organisation has called on citizens to monitor local implementation of council budgets and projects to better their living conditions.
The Convener of the group, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, made the call in Enugu on Wednesday during a “Capacity Building Workshop for Community Members in Enugu State to Deepen Local Oversight and Budget Tracking in Grassroots’’.
Nwagwu said that residents in communities and council areas must take ownership and participate in the governance of their areas especially on how budgets and projects were articulated and followed to full implementation.
“Communities and citizens cannot relax and allow the government to either function or not function without consequences because the government is financed by public funds accrued from various taxes imposed on citizens, rich and poor alike.
“Hence, it is the responsibility of citizens to make sure that these monies they contribute are not mismanaged but rather used to improve their quality of life through concrete projects and initiatives.
“This is why a programme such as this is important to make citizens aware of their stake in local governance and community development.
“Whether national, state or local government budgets, capital projects are a frequent feature and these projects are often cited in our communities.
“But, part of the reasons they never get implemented is that we have failed to get informed on details of the budgets, hence oblivious of the existence of those provisions in the budgets,’’ he said.
According to him, we will not have had the avalanche of abandoned projects in our communities and state if citizens in their groups and communities pay attention to structures that government and contractors erect in our localities.
A participant at the workshop, Mr Collins Nebo, said that the workshop had already agitated his mind to engage more with the chairman and councillors in his council area on the provision of social amenities to the people.
“I have learnt the act of positive engagement with the leaders in the council area as well as need to carry local stakeholders along in demanding project completion according to specifications.
“Today, I know better on how to follow budgets on social amenities from consultation, initiation and implementation,’’ Nebo, the Executive Director, New Century Initiative, said.
Another participant, Mrs Appolonia Nwagbara, said that the workshop had emboldened her to speak out and stand out for the local people in her council area and community in the state.
“The workshop is an eye-opener that we need to monitor ongoing projects in our localities so that they will not be abandoned or done in a substandard manner,’’ Nwagbara, who represented Civil Resources Development and Documentation Centre, said. (NAN)
Feb. 10, 2021 @ 16:09 GMT –
Tags: NGO urges citizens to monitor implementation of councils’ budgets projects
