CALABAR – THE Economic and Financial Crime Commission has released the sum of N4.5 million to some Civil Society Organizations to monitor budget implementation in Cross River State.
The money which was given to the commission by the United Nations Development Programme would be given to a yet to be mentioned CSO to monitor activities of government in project implementation in the state and three local government areas.
Head of Strategy and Reorientation Units of the EFCC, Mr. Gabriel Aduda who disclosed this at the Town Hall meeting on governance accountability programme in Calabar, Tuesday, said that the commission wanted to identify anti corruption revolution partner in each state to monitor activities of states and local government officials in budget implementation.
Aduda stated that the EFCC believed strongly that in fighting corruption there was the need for the commission to effectively under take the mandate given to it by the Nigerian people.
According to him, “What we intend to do with the N4.5 million, which is coming from the UNDP is to ensure better participation so that there will be more town hall meetings, there will more legislative intervention, there will be more engagement with the people and then ensure effective and efficient budget implementation monitoring and tracking, by the time activities are on at the local government level.”
He said that the money from UNDP was a grant which was also given to six pilot states from the six geo-political zones while three states were chosen from each state.
“We chose pilot states and then a mapping was done by the independent CSO and Action Aid assisted us in that mapping apart from the technical support to us and they identified the local government from each senatorial district.
“This one just happens to be selected by chance but that does not in any way mean that we have to over look where funds are being misappropriated or wasted in other local government. All we are trying to do is to see within the pilot local government how we can reduce the wastages and level of appropriation.”
He advised ordinary citizens in the state to participate in the budget implementation, adding that, “e in the EFCC believe strongly that in fighting corruption there is need for us to effectively undertake the mandate that has been given us by the people of Nigeria.”
Aduda further stated that the tripartite strategy the commission had adopted through enforcement entailed investigation, prosecution and prevention by looking at system processes and procedure to see where it could identify or do a risk assessment in organisations and how to assist in blocking loopholes that gives room to corruption economic and financial crime.
He said, “We are here undertaking a town hall meeting with support from the UNDP and technical support from Action Aid Nigeria basically to look at the local government level, their budget processes, avenue that is open to citizens participation and effective delivery of public service at that level.
“We believe that the Local Government level is the closest to the people, we are putting our search light there because we believe in the area of prevention. If the people are effectively part of how the budget priority are arrived at, how the budget portfolio are built during the implementation the people will have ownership and they will want to ensure that what have been agreed to is effectively delivered.”
He said that the town hall meeting brought together all the stakeholders, government, legislature, local government, people and civil society of Nigeria to rub mind and see what have been so far and to move the process forward.
He further said, “The project was funded by the UNDP. We took six pilot states, one each from each geopolitical zone of Nigeria and Cross River was selected in the South-South.
“Within the South-South what we requested for was one local government from each senatorial district and that is what gives us the three Local Government areas we are working with in Cross River.
“In Cross River we will be working with Calabar Municipality, Yakurr and Obudu Local Government Area. One each represents senatorial district to see how much success can be achieved with the process before we can talk of replication national wide.”
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