FCT Residents Charge Minister On Budget Implementation
Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the auspices of Abuja Grassroots Advocacy Project (AGAP) have called on the minister of FCT, Mallam Mohammad Musa Bello, to ensure strict implementation of the recently passed budget and ensure that residents of the FCT benefit from its implementation.
The chief advocate of the organisation, Comrade Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf, in a press briefing yesterday commended the National Assembly through the Smart Adeyemi-led Senate Committee on FCT, the senator
The Head of Service in Niger State, Hajiya Salamatu Abubakar, has stressed the need to improve capacity of civil servants, especially procurement officers in order to provide efficiency for reduction of wastages.
She spoke in Minna while declaring open a training workshop on e -- Procurement Process For Procurement Officers in the state.
She said due to dwindling economy, representing the FCT, Phillip Aduda, the minister of FCT and minister of state for their efforts in making sure that the budget was passed despite the delay.
Yusuf cautioned that the budget should not be a recurrence circumstance whereby the delay in the passage which has been experienced on two occasions would affect the implementation, which has made money to be returned to the national treasury by the minister.
“This time around we want the minister of FCT to ensure strict adherence to the implementation of the budget. Because we want to believe that the civil servants who procurement in the civil service should be powered through tendering of competitive biddings and processes where all aspects of quality, quantity, time and location are compared and put into consideration.
The Head of Service who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Establishment Matter overseeing Public Service Office Dr. Joseph Kolo James, said it was important to bring together procurement and store officers to explain are going to be giving this budget for implementation will not abuse their officers.
“They should ensure that the money is used for what the budget is meant for and that the implementation process is strictly adhered to. Because we have a very short time and the budget is coming almost at the end of the year.
“We are also calling on all the contractors that would be paid for projects from this budget to ensure that they complete the projects they have not completed. We want Nigerians to know that we are strictly monitoring the implementation of the budget because we areas of convergence and divergence between the two cadres to resolve the conflict between them for better service delivery as was earlier done for directors of planning and procurement officers.
She also emphasised the need to create procurement offices at the local government level to ensure things are done the right way instead of encouraging wastages.
Earlier, the permanent secretary, Niger State Public Procurement Board, Shehu Jibrin, said have a copy of it.
“We will not hesitate to expose any loophole or fraudulent behaviour by anybody, either the appointees or the civil servants who would be given various responsibilities. We want to ensure that the people of FCT are enjoying the dividends of good governance,” he said.
Yusuf further said that the advice is serious because all the civil societies organisations in the FCT are involved in it and have become watchdogs in their various area councils, saying that they are going to make sure they follow the budget according to the information made available to them. the fundamental aim and objective was to equip the civil service with new skills and broad based knowledge that would enable them compete with their counterparts.
Also speaking, the permanent secretary, Local Government Service Commission, Nuhu Garba Ngaski, in a goodwill message, appreciated the Head of Service for enhancing the Capacity training, adding that the training could not have come at a better time when the world is turning into a global village.
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has restated the continuous support of his administration for the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) to boost agriculture and ensure food security in the state.
The VCDP is a federal government program supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (FGN/ IFAD-VCDP) to sustainably enhance rural incomes and food security.
Bello gave the assurance when the IFAD country director, Ms. Dede Ekoue, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Lokoja, yesterday.
The governor noted that Kogi used to be called a ‘civil service’ state in spite of its agrarian endowment, but his administration had turned it into agriculture friendly and the real food basket of the nation.
Bello appreciated the team for the value the IFAD-VCDP activities was adding to the farmers and agricultural produce in the state.
He commended the State Programme Coordinator (SPC), Dr Stella Adejoh, for her tenacity and doggedness in always achieving results.
The governor expressed hope that the organization would give more support to farmers especially those whose farmlands were destroyed by the recent flood disaster
Earlier, the IFAD country director, Ms. Dede Ekoue, said the team was in the state for a Mid-Term Review (MTR) of IFAD-VCDP activities being implemented in nine States including Kogi.
According to her, the objective is to assess all the progress made, look critically at challenges to be addressed, and opportunities to further leverage on to scale up the impacts.