CODE trains facilitators on tracking of govt spending

Connected Development (CODE), a non-governmental organisation has organised a one day training workshop for Borno state chapter of champions with the support of Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) to strengthen the capacity of the participants on Follow The Money/Tracking Government Spending on projects as provided in the budgets for the grassroots communities.

The workshop with the theme, Strengthening Capacity for Follow The Money  Training for Borno Champions 2019, was to build and develop HITECH capacity for the state champions as well as familiarise them with the achievements and operations of the organisation.

One of the resource persons at the training workshop which took place in Miaduguri , Abubakar Sadiq Muazu said the training was also organised to specifically exposed the champions to the techniques and principles of the Follow The Money programme, government budgets, sources of finance, usher implementation and how the government spending can be tracked down in communities by individuals or group of individuals or communities.

He said tracking of government spending in the democratic setting helps in sustainability of the project and brings development to the affected communities apart from improving quality and benefits of the projects as well as responses of government to provision of basic infrastructure in communities.

Another resource person, Zaliha A. Lawal said the essence of organising the workshop for the state chapter champions was to empower them at the rural areas, particularly, those communities that were marginalised with data and vital information under the Sustainability  Development Goals (SSGs)  as a result of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs).

The Follow The Money, she said, can’t wait to see what can be shared and what can be gained from its network add  fast participation in monitoring and evaluation of any government project which is ideal and necessary to enhance community development and growth apart from checks and balances of government projects and budgeting.

Zaliha noted that there was also the need for the participants to monitor and evaluate budgets of government to ensure that the money disbursed is utilised for the purpose it was meant for.

She added that Follow The Money will further promote access to information for the communities (FOI) and encourage participation in budget processes to ensure participatory budgeting towards promoting transparency and accountability.

She said Follow The Money is purposely aimed at reducing corruption, transparency deficit, accountability deficit, poor citizenship participation in government  and public records inaccessibility.

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