Ebonyi: USAID, PEP Groom Councils on e-Procurement, Open Budgeting.
Budgeting, planning officers and Heads of departments in some Local government areas of Ebonyi State have been trained on participatory budget techniques.
The officers and HODs also received training on the use of the State's Electronic procurement portal in the management of contracts and projects in their Council areas.
The two day training involving HODs of Health, Education, as well as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), was organized by a Civil Society Organisation, Public Enlightenment Project, PEP, with sponsorship from USAID - State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness, (State2State )Activity.
The training was part of USAID-State2State's Ebonyi Local government Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (LFTAS) program, being implemented by PEP under sub-grant.
PEP's Executive Director, Mrs Lillian Ezenwa, while speaking on the event, lamented that most priority needs of communities were not often captured in council budgets due to non participation of citizens in the budgeting process.
She further decried the situation whereby appropriate Council officials and community members were not always aware of the contents of the budget so as to follow up project implementation in their areas, adding that such development negates the open government partnership initiative.
Ezenwa pointed out that contemporary governance and service delivery demands that budgets, procurements and contracts should be made open to the citizens in order to enhance understanding between the government and the governed at all levels.
Ezenwa explained: "With the support of USAID-State2State activity, we have been training budget officers from the seven S2S project local government areas of the State, as well as heads of departments of Health, Education, and WASH on how to use participatory budgeting to get the needs of communities into the local government budget for the year 2023.
"We are also training them on how to use the Ebonyi State Electronic procurement portal, an innovation by the State through which all projects and contracts are awarded on line.
"We want to open up the Local government budgeting system and contract awarding system, so that citizens can get value for their money; so that projects can be done according to economy and competitiveness."
In her address, the permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Local government, Chieftaincy Matters and Rural Development, Mrs Mojibade Ekuma, noted that the Ebony state Public Procurement and related matters law of 2020 with its amendment in 2021, provided for best practices in procurement and disposal of government property through an established procurement council.
She added that the law also provided for a website whereby all procurements and bids for contracts are currently done online for public view and participation, stressing that Ebonyi state qualified for the World Bank Grant of $4m in years 2020, 2021 and 2022 on account of performance, after meeting the DLI requirement for Transparency and Accountability.
She applauded Governor David Umahi for creating the enabling environment, and commended USAID-State2State and its partners for their invaluable impact in building the State's capacity.
She expressed optimism that the training would go a long way in building the capacities of key drivers of the Local Government policies and programmes: planning, procurement and research officers for better job delivery.
"It is my belief that we shall all make the best of this rare opportunity, seize the privilege of being here and participate with an open mind so that at the end of the 2 days workshop, better results can be achieved in our LGAs through our vintage posit of information, improved skills for efficient and effective service delivery" Ekuma said.
Earlier in a keynote address, the Executive Secretary, Bureau of Public Procurement, Mrs Betty Uzoma, stated that Ebonyi was the first State in Southeast to embrace the use of e-procurement in transacting government business.
She advised citizens seeking information on government contracts and procurements to visit the website on http://www.ebonyieprocure.eb.ng .
Uzoma added: "The good thing about this workshop is that the assistance and guidance the local government councils require is already available n the State.
"It is my wish, just as we were the first in the Southeast to go live, our local government will replicate the success the State has already achieved."
Some of the participants who spoke to newsmen, including Mrs Ada Nweze and Nkechi Okoro from Abakaliki and Ohaozara Local government areas respectively, described the training as worthwhile.
They promised to utilize the knowledge gained in improving the fiscal integrity of their council areas through enhanced citizens' participation in governance process.
Those who delivered goodwill messages during the event, including the Secretary, Local Government Service Commission, Ude Aja Nwachukwu, commended USAID and PEP for their tremendous inputs in strengthening the State and LG fiscal process.
AjaNwachukwu, represented by Mr Joseph Agbo, also thanked Governor Umahi for creating a conducive fiscal environment in the State.
Participants were educated on practical techniques and other issues around open government procurement and budgeting.