|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By our reporter, Lafia
Nasarawa State Government has begun town hall consultation on the Citizens’ Budget to get inputs from the citizens on their needs ahead of the 2025 budget year.
Hajiya Munira Abdullahi, Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning, while declaring the Town Hall Engagement open in Keffi Local Government Area, said Citizens’ inputs would greatly enhance the overall objectives of the Government.
Citizens’ budgeting is a democratic process that empowers citizens to decide how resource is allocated in the budget and other government plans.
This thematic approach enables people to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending projects, and make decisions about how government resources are utilized.
According to the Commissioner, the town hall is organized to ensure that the 2025 budget reflects the inputs and contributions from the citizens of the state.
Hajiya Abdullahi described the 2024 consultation theme: “Citizens’ Engagement: A Veritable Mean for Transformational Commitment” as a mark of improvement in participation and organization compared to previous engagements.
She explained that Nasarawa state since 2019 had consistently organized a series of town halls on “Citizens’ Budget” except for the financial year 2023.
She explained further that the town hall on Citizens’ Budget was in line with the disbursement link indicator II of the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) protocol, which emphasized increased openness and citizens’ engagement in the budget process.
“This Citizens’ town hall engagement is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our esteemed governor, Abdullahi Sule to elevate Nasarawa State to a new height of excellence and progress.
“This initiative forms our commitment to connect our people with the current socio-economic, and political in Nigeria and around the globe.
“We are here in Keffi to ensure that the voices of Nasarawa West Senatorial Zone; Keffi, Karu, Kokona, Nasarawa, and Toto LGAs are heard, and contribute to government policies and programmes,” she said.
Also speaking,Tanko Maiyaki, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Budget,
said the citizens’ budget engagement would bring about improvement in the budget preparation, presentation, and implementation.
Some participants who spoke at the event; Idris Sani, a representative of persons with disability, and Abubakar Salisu, a representative of the youth group urged the government to improve infrastructural development in Nasarawa West, especially Karu LGA.
They lamented that existing public facilities like schools and hospitals in Karu Local Government were overstretched, and urged the government to construct access roads, and skills acquisition for persons with disability in the zone.
The citizens’ budget town hall had in attendance the representatives of various interest groups, civil society and community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, markets women, youths, women, and farmers groups among others.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.