CITAD advocates for synergy between govt, citizens on budget process
By Ahmed AHMED
The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has advocated for synergy between government and citizens in budgetary and procurement processes in Bauchi state.
Our correspondent reports that CITAD training of CSOs and CBOs on budget processes with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under a one year project, entitled”Strengthening citizens participatory budgetary process” through the “State Accountability Transparency and Effectiveness (State2 State) in the state.
The Executive Director CITAD, Dr Yunusa Zakari Yau made the call during the Civil Society Organizations CBOs and Community Based Organizations CBOs from Bauchi,Toro and Alkaleri on budget processes on Saturday in Bauchi.
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He said the essence of the training was too stressed the need to create synergy between the people and the government in budgetary and procurement processes of the state.
Yau said that by increasing citizens awareness of the budget process, citizen’s will be equipped to make informed inputs to the various stages across the budget cycle, further improving accountability in the government’s budgets process and system.
The Executive Director, represented by the CITAD Senior Programme Officer, Isah Garba, said that the objective of the training was to enhance the capacity of CSOs and CBOs to engage both government and citizens in the budget process and to improve citizens’ participation in budget processes and government officials.
He urged the participants to engage in budget tracking in order to ensure prompt release of money budgeted for particular sectors of the state economy.
Ya’u added that they should engage people from the grassroot through enlightenment in order for them to know their right to public property.
Malam Isah Garba, CITAD Senior Programme Officer,while giving an overview of the State2 State Project, said that the budget is the most critical document in governance, hence citizens must engage in the processes to have a sense of belonging in the affairs of government.
He said that the training is for the participants to understand budget processes and other areas of engagement where the CSOs and CBOs can engage the government in drafting the budget, to its implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
“We want the participants of this training to also understand the implementation report, to see the level of assessment conducted and level of improvement gotten in a certain year as well as how to create a synergy between the legislature and communities in developing a communal agenda”.
“So if the budget is truly for the citizens of the state, there is no way the budget will be formulated and implemented without the contributions of the citizens within the state.
He reiterated that CSO and CBO organizations should serve as representatives of the general citizens of the state.
