USAID, Lawmakers Task Ebonyi MDAs On Strict Budget Implementation

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in conjunction with State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (STATE2STATE) yesterday in Enugu, tasked Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government in Ebonyi State to ensure strict compliance to budget implementation guidelines in order to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

The charge was given during the quarterly budget performance hearing between Ebonyi State House of Assembly and some relevant sectors in the state. The hearing, which was held at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, involved the Ministries of Education, Health and Water Resources. Other ministries and parastatals that participated in the hearing include Finance, Budget and Planning, civil society organisations and other agencies were also in attendance.

Declaring the hearing open, Ebonyi State House of Assembly Speaker, Moses Odunwa, reiterated the commitment of the Assembly towards ensuring total compliance with budget proposals for it to meet up with the people’s charter of needs.

He directed “All House committees on such priority sectors, including public accounts, to liaise with all relevant bodies and authorities to identify and close all gaps in budget implementation in the state.” Odunwa commended USAID State2State for its activities in Ebonyi State, which he said has greatly improved and impacted positively on both budget preparation and implementation in the state.