Abia State Government has called on stakeholders including the traditional rulers, the civil society organizations and the youths to come up with inputs and suggestions that would form the fulcrum of the 2026 budget
The State commissioner for Budget and Planning, Kingsley Anosike, made the call during the citizens engagement forum with the theme ‘Build Up To 2026 Budget” held in Umouahia, Abia State on Friday
Speaking while declaring open the forum, Anosike said the assemblage was ‘to discuss our path forward into 2026 budget
He recalled that the information gathered from last year’s meeting constituted 5% of the total budget allocation for the year, adding that this year’s gathering isn’t a formality.
Anosike said, “We gather here to feel the pulse of the ordinary people of Abia state because the budget we always craft for the state is supposed to be citizens’ budget.
It is supposed to be the budget that reflects what the citizens want, not what the elite, or the leadership of the state wants. So we build our budget from the ground up, not the other way round”.
“We randomly select interest groups across the population, from the traditional, to the clergy, to the youth, and to people living with disabilities. And we also involve the civil organization, because the civil organization is supposed to be the conscience of the people.
“So we involve them so they can be part of what we do. So the reason for this gathering is to ask you a very simple question. What do you want us to do? What do you want us to represent in next year’s budget that will speak to what you want?
‘’There is no better way to contribute to the development of Abia than what you are going to do today. Because it is from your contribution here that the entire revenue of the seeds for next years will be paid on. Both how we get it and how we send it.”
In her remarks at the occasion, an Open Government Partnership co-chair for non-state actors, Priscilla Ogbonnaya said the proposed should be simple and designed in a way that an ordinary citizen will understand how public funds are used, allocated, and at the same time, how it is being spent.
She said, “The 2026 budget should be simple in order to be effective. It should be simple. It should be accessible. It should be designed in a way that an ordinary citizen will understand how public funds are used, allocated, and at the same time, how it is being spent. It should be designed to impact the citizens’ daily lives. And it should also have a channel for feedback.
“This will make it more effective. It will build trust between government and citizens. It will promote people to hold their leaders accountable. It will create civic engagement in decision-making. And again, it will retrieve corruption through prosperity and accountability”.
Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Abia, the chairman, Abia State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Eze Linus NtoMba (Linto) commended the initiative describing it as necessary
“The citizens’ budgetary engagement initiative is a very important opportunity given to every stakeholder including the traditional rulers and other members of the community to contribute in the development and building up of the budget of the coming year, 2026.
‘The initiative will ensure that the needs of the people are captured in the budget, foster transparency and inclusive government”.
While commending the state governor, Alex Otti for the bold step taken to include stakeholders and all the building up of the 2026 budget, he advised the state government to make security of Abia communities a priority in the 2026 budget, adding, “the government should also budget on job creation, especially through agriculture to discourage criminal tendencies we witness in our communities”.
Reviewing the budget, the Special Adviser to the governor on Budget, Dr. Eric Egwuibe said the essence of the citizen’s engagement was to ensure that the budget carries the people along and not something being held strictly by government, but for all to see and would be able to ask questions, “but not to find faults”
