Press Releases

Group holds open budgeting training in Calabar

Published

3 years ago

2020/11/27

To deepen the budget conversation in Cross River State, a civil society organization has held a one-day training for interested members of the public.

The training which on Thursday, November 26th, 2020 in Calabar the Cross River State capital was titled ‘Open Budget Deep Dive’, and had in attendance members of the civil society and the media.

Giving his opening remark, The Head of Programmes of Policy Alert, Mr. Tijah Bolton-Akpan said the training had become necessary to expand the conversations around budgeting and the budgeting process.

“There is a need for us to constantly train and retrain ourselves on how to not just follow the budgeting process but also on how to spot fraud and other inconsistencies.” Tijah said.

Kingsley Eworo of Budget Transperancy and Accountability Network (BTAN) said there is a need for consistent citizens participation in budget planning.

“The budget is a public document, and it’s formulation should take consideration of the needs of the people.”

Eworo who described the budget as the “2-i-c” of our national laws, and only second to the Constitution, determines what a government intends to do and how it intends to achieve it.

Kenn Henshaw, Executive Director, Center for Social Studies and Development said even some persons in government still act like the budget is a secret document that should be kept away from.the people.

Kenn further added that there is a need to let people see themselves in the budget and it is then they will start monitory and following up on its implementation.