NDEBUMOG: Fostering Shadow Budgeting, Community Needs Assessment
In a bid to promote fiscal transparency and accountability in governance which reflect the needs of the citizenry, the Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (NDEBUMOG), with support from Oxfam in Nigeria, recently organised a series of town-hall meetings in
The need to open up the process of governance to citizens’ scrutiny in Nigeria has assumed a larger dimension. Likewise, the quest for transparency and accountability in budgeting process is fast becoming a sine qua non for any positive development process.
For those states in the Niger Delta region, which have been beneficiaries of billions of naira from the 13 per cent derivation principle from the federal revenue allocations, many analysts feel there has not been any corresponding development to match the revenue inflows; hence the need for greater focus on the governance process.
These issues, among other development challenges formed part of the thrust of activities undertaken by a non-governmental, non-political and non-religious (national) organisation with wide regional network across the Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (NDEBUMOG), with support from Oxfam in Nigeria, to bring governance closer to the people at the community level and grassroots.
The meetings were part of the activities of Oxfam’s Financing for Development - Strategic Partnership Program (SPP-II) being implemented by NDEBUMOG and other strategic partners.
Promoting Transparency As part of the SP-II activities, NDEBUMOG, headed by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. George-Hill Anthony recently undertook an inclusive budget advocacy visit to the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
According to Anthony, “NDEBUMOG envisions a Niger Delta where all public resources are maximally utilised for the benefit of all citizens and a mission to promote transparency and accountability for sustainable development in Niger Delta and democratic consolidation in Nigeria.
“The aforesaid vision and mission, along with our aims and objectives has deepened our work largely to a national and international (strategic) interlocking with relevant stakeholders, groups and institutions.
According to him, “We have collaborative synergies and partnership with some agencies, locally and internationally including the African Development Bank, United Nations, DfID, World Bank, USAID, Budget Office of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Finance, National Assembly Budget & Research Office, OSSAP-SDGs, SMBEPs, National Assembly Committees, National Planning Commission, NGO Unit in the Office of the Senate President, States’ Legislature within the region, except, Delta State, among others.
“However, the communities remain our critical partners. Importantly, our organisation holds a Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.
“As part of the Strategic Partnership Programme’s five pathways for change and realising that the legislature is an important partner in the campaign towards fiscal influencing at the grassroots, we are here to seek broader partnership with the Delta State Legislature under your able leadership for a mutual partnership that shall be beneficial to both parties.
“We are gearing for more of these collaborations with other parliaments across the country, including yours; for the sake of interlocking the grassroots on participatory (inclusive) budget with your assembly, among others”, he added.
Asaba Intervention As follow-up to the advocacy visit to the Speaker, a one-day Town Hall meeting on community needs assessment and shadow budget was organised on January 30 by the NDEBUMOG with support from Oxfam in Nigeria recently in Asaba, Delta State. Participants were drawn from communities and development clusters around Asaba in Delta State.
The meeting is a communally-centred platform used for the mobilisation of community stakeholders, particularly, women, opinion molders, chiefs, youth leaders, aged-group leaders, leaders of community associations and development committees/clusters, faith-based groups, development officers and planners within the Local Government Areas around the (THM) cluster to the gathering, among others.
Presentations and interaction during the meeting were focused on: Strategic influencing through Oxfam’s pathways of change: perspectives on strategic partnership and financing for development; Community needs assessment and action plans: the connectors with the budget cycle for effective development at the grassroots; Community development action plans through shadow budget: approaches and methods; and Taxation and budget within the context of development dynamics.
Key points focused on: goals and motivation; actors and power analysis; Strategy design; projects planning and implementation; learning about fiscal architecture; Needs assessment and why needs assessment; the connection between needs assessment and budget; and how needs assessment affects women at the grassroots.
Other key points include: relationship between livelihoods, human needs, and empowerment of women through basic economic literacy; and Strategic partnership programme (SPP) and connection with sustainable development at the grassroots.
Following deliberations, the participants adopted action points and committed to implement and embark on actions below at community level as budget monitors:
These include: to engage Local Government Chairmen, especially Chairman of Ethiope East LGA on Eku/Abraka Road, which was described as a death trap. The road was contracted about two years ago but not done till date; the premises of Ethiope East LGA are in a state of disrepair and dilapidated and should be given the necessary intervention through repair.