Southeast leaders have been charged to ensure that they are transparent and accountable in their drive to develop their zones.
Speaking during the Democracy Clinic held at the Villa Tuscana Hotel, Enugu recently, the Programs Director of Citizens Center for Integrated Development and Social Rights, CCIDESOR, Barr. Igwe Chidi noted that the event which was in partnership with DASRIAfrica and supported by NED, aimed at creating pool of concerned citizens that will work with CCIDESOR to promote transparency and accountability, using the tools available to citizens such as the constitution, annual financial reports, FOI act, the budget, among others.
He urged participants of Enugu extraction to engage and demand for the rights to citizens inclusion in budget processes which help in promoting good governance in Enugu State. He posited that once the governments at all level make the budget open, accessible and transparent, it will cause a multiplier effect that will cause a beehive of investment that will in turn develop the country. He sued for budget participation of citizens, by the citizens asking about the audit report, financial report and other documents.
The Executive Director of DASRIAfrica, Oge Ewelum posited that advocacy visits will be done to their representatives and appropriate bodies, especially that there will be media publications demanding for citizen’s inclusiveness in budget preparation/ implementation processes. She hinted that sensitization of the community members on the importance of accountability, transparency and good governance was on-going, while insisting that the demand for easy access to the state budget will also be kick-started as a result of the NED activities. At the end of the deliberation by group members, a time frame of 6 months was stipulated for the above mentioned task by the newly established CAAs.
