Kogi Assembly tasked on open, participatory budgeting process

Civil society organisations and other stakeholders have urged the Kogi State House of Assembly to ensure effective citizens’ participation, inclusiveness and openness in the budgeting process in the state for optimal results. They made the call in Lokoja during the 2nd Annual Budget Summit organised by Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) in […]

Civil society organisations and other stakeholders have urged the Kogi State House of Assembly to ensure effective citizens’ participation, inclusiveness and openness in the budgeting process in the state for optimal results.

They made the call in Lokoja during the 2nd Annual Budget Summit organised by Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) in partnership with the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Foundation with support of MacArthur Foundation.

Executive Director of CHRCR and convener of the summit Idris Miliki, in his presentation, lamented the failure of the state assembly to hold public hearings on budget proposals from the executive before passing them into law thus depriving the citizens of their rights to make input into the budget document.

A member of a civil society group, John Ojochenemi Amaebi, said there was need to improve on awareness creation and mobilisation of the citizenry for effective engagement on budget and its implementation process.

A former majority leader, Kogi State House of Assembly, Barr. Adamu Mohammed, in his presentation maintained that state lawmakers must be alive to their oversight responsibility to ensure effective implementation of the appropriation law.