The Youth Advocacy Cluster (YAC), a coalition made up of over 50 Civil Society Organisations, NGOs and the Media have continued their advocacy call for the signing and implementation of the Akwa Ibom Youth Development Fund Bill (AKYDF) into law to aid actualize the policy trust of the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

This call was made on Monday by Mr Ifiok Umoren, a representative of the Youth Advocacy Cluster at the Public hearing of the 2020 Appropriation bill held at the old chapel Hall of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

Mr Umoren presented a robust paper addressing and proferring recommendations to key sectors and line items on the bill such as Education, Science and Technology.

On the budget allocation to Social Development , Information, Youth and Sports, YAC noted that this sector is solely saddled with the responsibility of developing the youths of this state which constitutes over 60 percent of the state’s demography. An appropriation of 2.2 billion which is below 3 percent cannot actualize the policy thrust of Governor Udom Emmanuel which seeks to broaden and diversify the State resource base through improvement in Internal generated revenue.

In his recommendations, he called on Government to increase budgetary allocations to the ministries of Science and Technology, education and health.
He posited that the current budgetary allocations of 1B, 4.59B , and 11.45B for Science and Technology, health and education which represents a paltry 0.27,1.24 and 1.91 percents of the total capex outlay of 364.642B in the 2020 Bill is a far cry. Especially considering the fact that these economic sectors have the potentials of increasing the states IGR, job creation for youths of the state who constitute about 60% of the active working population.

He called on the Governor to sign the AKYDF Bill and other ancillary fiscal policy bills(fiscal responsibility Bill, public procurement bill) to enable the state access huge international donor funds and aids for development.

The public hearing was to provide a platform where different shades of opinion from the citizens of the State (as individuals, organized group, etc) contributed and collated to impact on the policy trust and objectives of the budget for the overall socio-economic development of the State.

It was well attended by Civil Society Organisations, Civil Liberty Organisations, the Media and other MDAs.