OKOWA COMMITTED TO ENSURING CITIZENS OPINION COUNTS IN THE MAKING OF DELTA STATE 2022 BUDGET

AS ACTIVIST ANIGHORO HOSTS DR. BARRY PERE GBE DELTA STATE COMMISSIONER FOR ECONOMIC PLANNING AT CITIZEN'S ENGAGEMENT EVENT


Putting the Delta State Government's open budget policy into action as a build up to the year 2022 budget preparation and approval, office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Delta State on Civic Engagement and Civil Society, as occupied by Activist Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro on Sunday 5th of September, hosted Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning to a citizens' engagement and interactive event tagged: "An evening with Dr Barry Pere Gbe ".

The virtual event which was massively attended by Deltans both home and in diaspora was an avenue to bring government closer to the people, and record the yearnings of citizens, especially their input and expectations for the year 2022 budget.

Activist Anighoro as the host, laid a solid foundation for the deliberations. He noted that this Citizen's budgeting process as driven by Dr Barry Pere Gbe, the Honourable Commissioner for Economic Planning, was a novel governance practice in Nigeria, one which the Governor Okowa-led Delta State Government must be commended for.

Dr Barry Pere Gbe gave a brief overview of the intentions of the Delta State Government for the year 2022 budget, hinting that the focus was more on medium term planning, as against short term or annual budget planning.

An intense and highly interactive two hours of deliberations followed the commissioner's brief address. Citizen's opened - up and spoke on the needs of their respective communities. Civil Society organizations were not left out as they used the opportunity to advocate for government intervention in the areas of: providing safe spaces for victims of gender based violence, subsidizing sun-screen for albinos in Delta State to help protect them from skin cancer, creating a budget line for the office of civic engagement and civil society as well as the programs to drive ICT in Delta State.

Other citizens called for more private sector involvement to undertake intervention projects since government cannot do it alone, and advocated for the urgent passing of the Delta State Corporate Social Responsibility bill into law, as it will help spring the private sector into action to live up to their corporate social responsibilities in Delta State. Other prayers were for the discontinuation of State sponsored annual pilgrimages, and channeling those funds into causes for the greater good. Several attendees who spoke at the event, appreciated the initiative, commended the Honourable Commissioner for the openness, and called on Activist Anighoro to extend similar invitation to other Commissioners and MDAs for robust engagement.

Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr Barry Pere Gbe, thanked all who made the time to attend and engage at this meeting, a process which he said will lead to the creation of a budget of the people, truly reflective of their yearnings.

Activist Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Delta State on Civic Engagement and Civil Society, appreciated the Honourable Commissioner for the time spared to engage with the electorates. He also advised Deltans to ramp up the engagement with their elected and appointed representatives in government, so as to speedily get their requests added to the budget, noting that as Dr Barry Pere Gbe advised, the legislature and MDAs will also have key inputs in the budget, thus, the people must ensure that their representatives in government are truly representing them.