‘Ebonyi budget implementations on critical sectors very low’

A Non-Governmental Organization, Development, and Integrity Intervention Goal, DIG Foundation, on Tuesday, rated budget implementations of the state in critical sectors like health and education low.

The Organisation encouraged the government to show more commitment to achieving 70 percent budget release of the social sectors before the end of the year 2024.

The foundation, in a presentation made by the Green-The-Red Cluster Project through its Executive Director, Ajah Chima Oliver, on Monday in Abakaliki, advocated for increased budgetary releases for social sectors, especially the health and education sectors in Ebonyi State.

He disclosed that this presentation was endorsed by the Abraham Children Foundation, Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation, Da’wah and Guidance Bureau of Nigeria, Faith Community Counselling Organization, Human Rights & Conflict Resolution Centre, Methodist Care Ministry, Technology for Transformative Development Foundation, and Ebonyi Civil Society Network/Ebonyi Civil Society Situation Room.

Ajah said they decided to hold the briefing on the third quarter budget performance of the sectors of interest especially as it relates to the capital budgets in the state.

He observed that the Ebonyi State government has yet to fulfill Abuja’s declaration of allocating a 15 percent budget to the health sector over the years and never reached the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO recommendation of a 26 percent budget for the education sector.

“Again, budget performance over the years is poor across social sectors; for instance, in 2022, the Ministry of Health achieved only 0.2 percent annual capital budget releases, Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, EBSPHCDA, and others had zero percent capital budget performance in 2022.

“As of September 2024, the Ministry of Health has 5.6 percent, Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency, EBSHIA 8.8 percent, EBSPHCDA, and others zero percent.

“This shows that none of the health sector, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, had a pass mark as each MDA is supposed to achieve at least 75 percent by the third quarter and 100 percent by December 2024,” Ajah stated.

He commended Governor Francis Nwifuru-led administration for the ongoing projects in Ebonyi and, however, observed that such spending should be traceable to the budget before being counted as a performance for the state.

He noted that Governor Nwifuru’s administration has prioritized education and health coming first and second in her People’s Charter of Needs mantra, saying, “This needs to be demonstrated through adequate fund releases for the sectors.”

Ajah urged the state government to prioritize items in the budget for all expenditures, ensuring that all social sector-related expenditures are drawn from the approved budget.

He urged the state government to make social sector budget releases an agenda of the State Executive Council meetings and heads of the MDAs to be committed to writing fundable memos for consideration at the state executive members’ meetings.