Budgeting: C'River Stakeholders Call For Bottom-Up Approach, Feasible , Transparent Appropriation
By Ogbu KOSY
Cross River State stakeholders have expressed concerns about the current budgeting process and called for a more bottom-up approach to ensure effective utilization of resources.
Addressing the forum, at a one-day consultative forum for the preparation of the 2024 budget in Calabar, His Royal Highness Etim Okon Edet, the paramount ruler of Bakassi LGA and chairman of Cross River State traditional rulers council, emphasized the need for clarity and transparency in the budgeting process. He questioned the direction of the state's development and expressed his disappointment in the lack of a clear vision.
He stated, "We cannot continue in sin for grace to abound. The picture is not very clear to me where we are going. And so I will not be able to tell my colleagues who are not here what happened here today."
Edet expected the budget forum to focus on essential issues such as infrastructure development, healthcare, agriculture, and housing. He called for a bottom-up approach, where local governments and communities would have a more significant say in the budgeting process to avoid duplication of projects.
He also urged the leadership to involve the people in decision-making, saying, "Every time, we allow the leadership to bring programmes to us without us giving it to them."
Continuing, he voiced concerns about the feasibility of certain projects and advised a more realistic approach to the budget, saying: "A lot of things need to be straightened out. Prince Otu requires the truth from the people. Let Sweet Prince be in our hearts, not just on our lips."
Responding to these concerns, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Budget, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Comrade Otu Otu Ita, acknowledged the validity of the traditional ruler's concerns. He explained that Cross River currently lacks a state development plan and stressed the importance of establishing one.
Ita highlighted the governor's directive to develop a short-term and long-term plan for the state, as well as a medium-term expenditure framework to guide the 2024 Budget preparation. He emphasized the need for a clear understanding of the mandates of various ministries.
The consultative forum concluded with a call for a more inclusive and transparent budgeting process, taking into account the needs and priorities of local the grassroots.
The event aimed to provide a platform for stakeholders to voice their concerns and expectations regarding the upcoming budget and ensure that the budget aligns with the state's development goals.
