• …CBIAMEC to Focus on Oversight, Transparency, and Effective Implementation of Public Budgets
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have taken a significant step toward increasing transparency and accountability by launching the CSOs Budget Implementation, Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation Committee (CBIAMEC).
The committee, inaugurated on Thursday, aims to closely monitor and assess the implementation of government budgets, ensuring effective resource utilization and advocating for necessary reforms.
Comr. Splendour Agbonkpolor, the newly inaugurated chairman of CBIAMEC, speaking to newsmen, outlined the committee’s comprehensive mandate. He said; “Our role is to monitor budget implementation, assess its impact, identify any gaps, and advocate for necessary reforms. We are committed to promoting transparency, producing evidence-based reports, and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to support capacity-building efforts.”
Emphasizing his commitment to leading the committee impartially, Agbonkpolor assured that no organization would be protected in the fight against corruption. “We are working toward assisting the government in evaluating projects at the implementation level. We aim to set a new standard for leadership that will transcend the current state of governance,” he noted.
Also explaining that the initiative is coming at a crucial time when concerns about corruption and mismanagement of public funds have intensified. Comr. Okpanachi Jacob, Head of Planning, addressed the committee’s core objective of overseeing government procurement procedures. “Our primary aim is to ensure that government projects are executed in a transparent and accountable manner,” he stated. “The endemic corruption we’ve witnessed in the past demands a strong check on the system, and we are committed to delivering on that promise.”
Comr. Patrick Ogheneyero, the Head of Operations, who also spoke to newsmen, highlighted the vast sums of money expended on public projects and the need for rigorous oversight. Ogheneyero said “Billions of naira have been spent on budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation in this country. As civil society organizations, it is our duty to ensure that every kobo allocated to government projects is spent transparently and effectively.”
Meanwhile executives of the committee were officially inaugurated and oath of service rendered as they all pledged to collaborate with governmental bodies, international organizations, and other stakeholders to foster greater accountability in Nigeria’s budgetary processes and bring about bout meaningful reforms.
