By Oswald Agwu
Civil Society Organizations in Ebonyi have expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of government palliatives, meant to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.
This was part of the outcome of a one-day multi-stakeholders roundtable discussion.
The session focused on the implementation of social intervention programmes in the South Eastern State.
The meeting was held Thursday in Abakaliki, the State capital.
It was organised by the Nigeria civil society Situation Room in collaboration with Development and Integrity Intervention Goals, (DIG) Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation, as part of activities in the implementation of a project titled “Strategic Civic Education and Advocacy for Accountability and Good Governance in Ebonyi, supported from the United Kingdom, Foreign Commonwealth and Development office, FCDO.
It brought together State and non-state actors to a roundtable to discuss issues bordering on the implementation of government’s social intervention programmes in Ebonyi state with the aim of fostering positive citizen-government understanding and relationship.
In a communique endorsed by the over 20 CSOs, participants commended the State government for its introduction of some socio-economic measures to ameliorate the sufferings of citizens of the State such as addition of N10,000 to workers salaries, payment of arrears of gratuities to retired workers, provision of free transportation to and from work daily for civil servants and the distribution of N2 million business development grants to about 1, 500 citizens, among others.
The CSOs however, observed that the process through which the beneficiaries of the federal government palliatives were selected in the state was not transparent enough. This according to them made the bulk of the items not to get to the target population, the most vulnerable people in the state.
They emphasised that the CSOs which are the representatives of the masses, having accurate data were not carried along in the entire process, a situation which they noted, defeated the objectives of the social interventions.
They urged the state government to always endeavour to bring in the CSOs in matters affecting the welfare of the citizens as such would help foster better cooperation and understanding between the leaders and the led.
Speaking for the state actors, the State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on public accounts, Godwin Abiri, said the state government has demonstrated good intentions to move Ebonyi state forward as demonstrated in the payment of accumulated arrears of gratuities to retired civil servants and other interventions.
He assured that the present government in the state was poised to get things right, and appealed to citizens to show some patience.
Abiri noted that the major problem with fuel subsidy was corruption in the system which would take some time to clean up, assuring that the removal was for the good of the country.
Others who spoke, including the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jude Okpor and former Commissioner for Business Development in the state, Stephen Odo, who separately enumerated all that the state government has done to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the State.
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Okpor, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Anya Kama Egwu, stated that apart from the palliative, the Governor has carried out a lot of reforms in the education and health sectors, including the increase of subvention to the state university and employment of workers into health facilities in the state as well as the civil service.
He assured that the doors of the Ministry are always open for information concerning the activities of government and for inputs into governance.
Odo on his part, maintained that the State government has been doing a lot which according to him were under-reported.
Odo, also the state Coordinator of NG-CARES, emphasised that the high cost of fuel in the country which has contributed greatly to the sufferings experienced by citizens was due to the cost of exporting crude and importing refined fuel.
He noted that part of the panacea to the sufferings would be for Nigeria to establish refineries and begin refining fuel in the country.
Odo added: “Every policy by the government is what the government has critically looked into, and trying to do their best for the greater number of the people.”
Speaking about the project, the Executive Director, DIG Foundation, Oliver Chima Aja, stated that it was in line with the Ebonyi Governor’s people’s charter of needs principle, Open government partnership (OGP) and SFTAS principles targeted at promoting result-oriented citizen’s engagement and accountability through advocating for citizens’ participation in activities of government.
Ajah decried the hardship brought about by the fuel subsidy removal with its resultant high cost of living and grossly diminishing value of incomes especially in Ebonyi State.
He noted that the federal and state government’s response with some social Intervention programmes have remained a welcome development but observed that there was need for citizens to be carried along in the management of the interventions.
Aja emphasised: “This meeting is also a platform to call for fairness, especially in proper identification of beneficiaries and ensure that most vulnerable groups are covered.
“It will also serve as an avenue for state actors to update stakeholders and give account of their stewardship on subsidy removal palliatives, service delivery and accountability issues.
“The project would by next week train young people who would serve as Community Civic Education and Accountability Champions in their communities.”
Participants at the event were drawn from CSOs, faith-based Organisations including the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Muslim community; representatives of traditional rulers, the legislature, the judiciary and the executive arms of government; the Chamber of Commerce, people with disabilities as well as the media.
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