A group of Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of Green-the-Red Health Sector Cluster have commenced harvesting of citizens’ input to be factored into the 2025 Ebonyi State health budget.
This was the major outcome of the Citizens-Government Accountability Town Halls, which started recently in Abakaliki.
The events, in the capital city of Ebonyi State, were organised by the Cluster with Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation as the anchor organisation.
It was part of activities in the implementation of the USAID-Palladium SCALE project: “Addressing Accountability and Budgetary Concerns for Sustainable Healthcare in Ebonyi State.”
The two-day event engaged various community stakeholders from the two federal constituencies of Ebonyi North Senatorial District of the State: Abakaliki, Ohaukwu Ebonyi and Izzi.
Participants, including traditional rulers, women and youth leaders, representatives of faith-based organisations, Ward Development Committees and other community-based organisations as well as people with disabilities, interfaced in their various groups and collectively to arrive at each community’s priority needs.
The harmonised priority needs were later submitted in a Community Charter of Demand document to the Ministry of Budget and Planning.
Delivering the statement of purpose for the meeting, the Executive Director of DIG Foundation, Oliver Chima Ajah, explained that the essence was to build capacity of participants on the techniques of Preparing Community Charter of Demands as well as harvest the priority needs of the communities.
He commended the Ministry of Budget and Planning as well as the line Ministries, Departments and Agencies for ensuring that some of the citizens’ inputs harvested last year through the CCD were included in the 2024 State budget.
Ajah reemphasised that the focus of the Green-the-Red Health Sector Cluster was to ensure improved funding and budget implementation for the health sector.
He expressed optimism that the 2025 Citizens’ inputs inclusion in the budget would surpass that of 2024.
Flagging off the exercise, the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mfon Williamson, commended the cooperation and synergy existing between the State Government and Civil Society Organisations, describing the relationship as a driver of good governance.
Receiving the CCD documents derived from the meeting, the Director, Planning, from the Ministry of Budget, Chijioke Ogbodo, and Statistician, Moses Uto, pledged to ensure that the people’s priority needs are given added attention in 2025 budget preparation.
In separate goodwill messages, some of the participants, including the traditional rulers of Mbeke Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area, Eze Peter Ukpamazi; Umuagara Community in Ohaukwu LGA, Eze Chinedum Chibueze Agbo; and traditional Prime Minister of Nkaleke Echara Unuhu, Chief George Nwiboko, commended DIG and the cluster group for the initiative.
They said the exercise has further assured them that their voices count in the governance of the state.
Earlier, the CSO cluster had trained Planning, Research and Statistics officers of relevant MDAs, Ward Development Committee members, Town Union Executives and some CSOs on budget processes and the use of CCD in health sector budget input.
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Resource persons at the training were the Permanent Secretary, Budget and Planning and the DIG Advisor, Dr. Emmanuel Abah.
The exercise continues to other senatorial zones of the State.
Other CSO cluster members include Abraham Children Foundation, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, Technology for Transformative Development and Methodist Care Ministry.
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