Acute malnutrition in Gombe: NGO tasks legislature on transparent budgeting process

Following the rising cases of acute malnutrition and Government’s inaction over the trend, an NGO has tasked the Gombe State House of Assembly on evidence based and transparent budgeting process for nutrition activities in the State.
Many international and indigenous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) recently raised concerns on the rising cases of acute malnutrition in Gombe State which recently prompted the Gombe State Government’s action of increasing the budgetary allocation for nutrition from N55 million in 2015 to 120 million for 2016.
But in a press conference Wednesday, Nutrition Advocacy Coalition in Gombe State, under the support of Save the Children International called on the State legislature to evolve evidence based and transparent budgeting process for nutrition policies.
This call is coming in the wake of non release of budgetary allocations for Nutritional activities in the last three years to the tune of N155 million which further heightened the rise in the cases of acute malnutrition in Gombe State.
Addressing the press on the issue, Chairman of the Coalition, Alhaji Alhassan Yahaya, among others, called on the Gombe State Legislature to create an enabling environment for the implementation of nutrition policies and programmes in Gombe State.
According to the Chairman, increasing the budgetary allocation to nutrition activities and interventions for the State and Local Government Areas would save the State the embarrassing data coming out from the State on the status of nutrition.
He said, “Legislative oversight to ensure accountability and improved budgetary performance in the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) should be imbibed by the State House of Assembly”.
While commending the State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo for his recent visit to one of the Community Management on Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) sites in the State in Dukku Local Government Area and his commitment to support nutrition activities in the State, he said, “The promise to release funds on time indicates Government’s readiness to fight malnutrition in the State. The people of Gombe State have confidence in your Government and they believe you will take all necessary actions to fight malnutrition”.