Furthering a tradition of citizens’ participation, Delta state government last Sunday engaged indigenes in a global townhall dialogue to harvest their input into the 2025 budget of the state via a webinar.
Sonny Ekedayen, Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning says the webinar, the second in the series, represents Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s novelty of “running a people-centric governance model that takes citizen’s views seriously.”
Mr. Ekedayen says, regardless of the location or status, indigens of the state were accorded opportunity through the webinar to interrogate government actions, decisions and policies in a bid to ensure greater accountability, transparency and robust citizens participation in the decision making process on the 2025 budget.
He informed Nigerian Anchor that the webinar was organised by Delta State Government through the Ministry of Economic Planning, in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Civic Engagement and Civil Society led by Rex Anighoro.
Mr. Sonny Ekedayen stated that prior to the webinar, his office already held a physical citizens’ budget engagement comprising of the organised sectors such as the traditional institutions, community leadership, the clergy, private sector, women, youths, people living with disabilities and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
” There is nothing that can be more important than having engagement with the people whom the budget is being prepared,” Mr. Ekedayen said, emphasising:
“I want to put it out there that the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori is a peoplecentric Governor, everything he does and thinks is on how he can impact the people…and he takes the citizens views seriously.”
The Commissioner enthused that the 2024 budget now being operated has recorded appreciable performance because it is a product of citizens engagement.
“In the past one year we have made some progress in our fiscal space,” he said.
“We have a budget of N724.9Billion for the year 2024 with N316.7Billion budgeted for recurrent expenditure, which is 44% of the budget. N408.3Billion was budgeted for Capital expenditure, representing 56℅ of the budget,” he reported.
He disclosed that, “As at half year, the revenue performance of the budget stood at N523.6Billion, representing 144.4℅, while reccurrent expenditure stands at N121.8Bllion out of 316.7Billion representing 76.92% performance.”
He said, in terms of capital expenditure, “Government has spent N135.3Billion out of N408.3Billion earmarked, this represents 66.37℅ performance.” He called on the citizens especially those in the Civil Society to verify his claims.
Showcasing some of the achievements of the Government in the year under review, he made it known that Delta State Government has committed N5Billon in ensuring that the salaries and promotion arrears of the Delta State State Civil Servants were paid as at when due in pursuit of strengthening industrial harmony and stability in the State.
He also stated that a N40Billion loan guarantee was granted the Local Governments Councils to help clear their salary and promotion arrears backlog which demoralized the civil servants.
Continuing, the commissioner mentioned that the State Government has ensured the employment of 3,000 teaching and essential non teaching staff for Primary Schools, averring that the Delta State Government takes seriously the good and welfare of it’s workforce both at the State and Local Government levels.
Further, Mr Sonny Ekedayen, stated that there is a massive infrastructural development ongoing across the State especially in the Uvwie and Warri axis of the State with the engagement of Julius Berger to undertake major construction work which includes flyovers. He also made it known that the completion and commissioning of the massive State High Court Complex Asaba which construction has spanned nearly ten years was worthy of mention.
Furthermore, he stated that the Delta State Government has reduced significantly it’s debt stock from N465.3Billion at the inception of the present administration to N303.4Billion as at 30th June 2024.
Speaking about diversifying the Economy, the Commissioner spoke about Delta State Government bold and innovative steps to harness the Green Economic Space with a view of harvesting carbon credit for sale noting that this alternative and complementary revenue sources for the state will create thousands of jobs for Delta Citizens across board.
