Kogi State House of Assembly has called for collaboration with civil society organizations to ensure accurate and people-centric lawmaking.
The Chairman House Standing Committee on Appropriation, Economic Planning and Budget Monitoring, Hon Jacob Sam Olawumi, made the appeal during the public hearing on the 2024 proposed appropriation bill with the critical stake holders at the Assembly complex in Lokoja on Wednesday.
Hon Oluwumi said the committee has the responsibility of analyzing and making recommendations on the income including allocation from the federation accounts and internally generated revenue among others.
He urged the critical stakeholders to put their wealth of experience towards actualizing a 2024 budget of all inclusive that stand to benefit the entire state, noting that the 8th assembly has been very passionate about public participation in lawmaking process to bridge the gap between the government and the people.
In their separate presentations, the Executive Director, Conscience for Human Right and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Comrade Idris Miliki urged the various committees to take a look at some proposed issues where recurrent capital expenditure is higher than the capital budget, stating that such occurrence would put the state in stagnant position.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Initiative for Grassroots Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA), Hamza Aliyu, advised lawmakers to make plan for future emergency such as economic recession as well as provision of reticulation of greater Lokoja water scheme, adding that it should put the scheme in position to generate million of gallons of water per day and end the city perennial water crisis.
He further stated that the reticulation if Lokoja Greater Water Scheme is to ensure effective distribution of water from the water works to parts of Lokoja and its environs.
