From: Madu Ezenoha, Enugu
As part of efforts to tackle corruption at the local government level, a non-governmental organization (NGO) Africa Center for Rural Development and Environment, (ACERDEN), at the weekend concluded the training of more than 450 “key influencers” from the 17 local government areas of Enugu state.
The training was intended to equip the stakeholders with the stills required in monitoring the planning and execution of budgets at the grassroots by council chairmen.
Those trained include; town union executives, traditional rules, retired permanent secretaries/other public officers, head teachers and community based organisations.
The NGO, supported by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and funded by United Nation Development Programmes, (UNDP) said that trainees will take the campaign against
corruption to the grassroots level in the state.
Addressing participants at the workshop, Professor Daniel Ugwu, Chief Executive Officer of ACERDEN assured that at the end of the training, participants would become more aware of their roles in their different communities in terms of budget preparation, presentation, and execution.
According to Prof. Ugwu, “there is a link between budget, service delivery, and corruption. Budget padding is evil, be it corrective accounting or others”.
Prof. Ugwu highlighted common problems in the budget processes to include poor planning, weak financial management system, corruption, inadequate funding, and diversion of funds, weak budget oversight, and
the role of the grassroots people in the budget processes.
He said, “you must demand to know how much is received from the federation account, how much revenue was generated, what projects or activities are contained in the local government budgets, where they could be located and at what cost”.
Prof. Ugwu said that the involvement of CBOs and NGOs in the monitoring activities is very fundamental because it creates or gives room for local council development while also recognizing their leadership role and responsibility in the partnership arrangement with government.
The ICPC Chief Superintendent, Enugu zonal office, Mr. Eze Ansell said the agency had forum where NGOs participate with them in the campaign against corruption and corrupt practices which is national anti-corruption coalition.
He said the training became necessary because, “It will also aid in eradicating corrupt practices among the contractors and some government officials because the communities will hold the government responsible for any project coming through not confrontational but through monitoring to ensure that the funds that are being released
are properly used in any government contract in the communities”.
