By Omolara Adasofunjo
Members of the Ogun State House of Assembly have begun a three-day budget retreat meant to interface with members of the state’s economic team and other financial experts towards dissecting the key elements and components of the State 2024 budget preparatory to its passage by the Assembly.
Declaring the retreat open at the WosAm Hotel, Awolowo Road, Ago-Iwoye, the Speaker of the house, Mr Olakunle Oluomo enjoined his colleague-lawmakers to take advantage of the interface to x-ray the key components and direction of the fiscal proposal, especially its socio-economic impacts on the people of the State.
According to him, the annual budget retreat being organised by the State Legislature had continued to offer a platform for the exchange of ideas and knowledge on budgeting and budgetary process for the lawmakers to be well equipped on how to ensure scrutiny of the financial proposal in line with their legislative assignments.
In his paper titled: “The Importance of Code of Conduct, EFCC and ICPC Acts in providing Accountability for Good Governance”, the State Director, Code of Conduct Bureau, Mr. Olusegun Rabiu, listed areas of contravention that must be avoided by public officials to include prohibition from operating foreign account and they must not receive a gift in whatever forms from contractors amongst others.
He equally warned that whoever was convicted by the relevant court on the contravention of the Code of Conduct law, and the same reaffirmed up to the Supreme Court, could not be granted a State pardon.
Delivering his paper titled: “How an Achievable State Budget Could be Realised by Honourable Members through Effective Budget Oversight “, the Executive Director, of Community Development Initiatives, Mr. Igbodipe Olumide, stated that the bottom-up approach being adopted by the State government in the budgetary process remained the most appropriate for the overall socio-economic development of the Gateway State.
He called for more initiatives towards strengthening the capacity and enhancement of institutional processes towards setting a common framework for the budget process.
Mr. Igbodipe equally stressed the need for the executive and legislative officials to explore joint initiatives to improve the information analytic foundation for budgeting, which he said included greater public disclosure of budget information to enable more informed and broader public participation in budget debates.
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