CSO, EFCC To Monitor Govt Budgets NGOs Humanitarian Activities, LGCs Funds

Civil Socoety Organizations (CSO) Borno State Chapter and Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) , Borno State have agreed to partner and monitor the humanitarian activities of the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the state henceforth.

The two organizations have also reached a resolution to monitor the funds of Local Government Councils from the federal government with the LGC Autonomy by way of working closely with the LGCs to ensure that the funds meant for the LGCs from the FG are properly and judiciously utilised and not diverted by the LGCs officials.

The Chairman, CSO, Borno State Chapter, Ambassador Ahmed Shehu stated this Thursday during the CSO and EFCC joint meeting held at the CSO office Maiduguri.

"CSO and EFCC have reached an agreement to partner with each other to monitor the activities of the LGCs, state government budgets and NGOs Humanitarian activities in the state.

""This is coming with a view to intensify surveillance in the system with the Boko Haram insurgency elements now theatening and terrorisng villages and towns of the state", Ahmed said.

According to him, the main purpose of the partnership was to ensure good governance, positive development, transparency and accountability in the activities of the state government, NGOs and LGCs.

Ambassador Shehu further explained that plans are also underway by the CSO to track down state and local governments budgets to allow public or citizens of the state decide on the projects and programmes they need to be incorporated in the annual state and local governments budgets.

He said this will give the rural and urban people the opportunity to fully participate in annual budgets formulation and implementation for the purpose of service delivery and benefits while Town Hall Meetings with the Traditional, Community, Youths, Women and Religious Leaders as well as other stakeholders in the society will soon be organized.

The Chairman added that the forum will enable the people to present their basic infrastructural needs that will be incorporated in the state and local government budgets so that fraud and other corrupt practices should not be used to truncate or frustrate LGCs, state government and NGOs systems and activities.