Bayelsa State chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation
(CLO) says it has identified lapses in the budgetary process of the state
government which according to it, is characterised by poor participation and
implementation.

CLO is, therefore, calling for a people’s oriented budget
where every civil society organisation ,government representatives ,traditional
rulers, various representatives of the local government and others should be
involved in the 2013 state budget.

State Chairman of CLO, Chief Nengi James,made the
observations in Yenagoa while speaking during a one-day training programme on
ensuring deeper and more meaningful citizens’ participation in the budgetary
process in Bayelsa State.

The programme was organised by African Centre for Leadership
, Strategy and Development in conjunction with PACT Nigeria.

He said: “What we have observed in the past is that there
are lots of lapses and criminalities in Bayelsa State government budgetary
process .The commissioner for Economic and Budget Planning has a task to do.
The commissioner should tell the executive council to be transparent,
accountable and probity. Government should go back to its section and harmonise
the issue involving policy making, especially in budgeting.”

Earlier, State Commissioner for Economic and Budget
Planning, Ambrose Alfred,  had said that
for a budgetary process to be very effective ,its monitoring and evaluation
process must also be very effective .

The commissioner recalled that the budget implementation of
the previous administration in the state was abandoned for the past three years
which he described as unfortunate and sad.

“It’s really unfortunate ,I think we will do everything
possible to ensure that whatever was budgeted for the state was implemented. It
would enable it impact positively on the lives of  the people,” he noted.