From Enyinna Omoke, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State government last week commended the positive impact of the USAID-State2State Nigeria in creating strategic reforms in some of the state ministries/MDAs.
Speaking during the quarterly review meeting of the Ebonyi State Transformational Committee (STC) held at the USAID-State2State office in Abakaliki, the state governor, Hon. Francis Nwifuru said the partnership between USAID and Ebonyi State has brought many positive changes, especially in the areas of health, education, and WASH sectors.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Grace Umezurike, Governor Nwifuru noted that the review meeting is a key platform to assess the impact of intervention programs and uncover areas that require further attention.
“On behalf of governor, I extend my appreciation for the exceptional work you are doing in Ebonyi State. USAID has proven to be an outstanding partner, particularly in the health sector and other vital domains where their programs and implementation plans have made a significant difference.
“This quarterly review is a commendable initiative that will enable you to assess your coverage and identify untapped areas.
“I must applaud the thorough assessment you are undertaking, which undoubtedly paves the way for even greater accomplishments,” she said.
Earlier, Dr. Sam Onyia, the Ebonyi USAID-State2State Team Lead explained that they have supported the state to achieve many reforms in the areas of public financial management, public procurement, internally-generated revenue, citizen participation, conflict management, but noted that there are still reform gaps that require the complementary role of the government.
He added that S2S had helped the government to develop a communications and IGR expansion strategies but the implementation has not commenced.
He also emphasized that the government still needs to commence the implementation of the strategies.
Other areas according to him are the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF), the medium-term sector strategy (MTSS), the development of budget, procurement and audit manuals, revival of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) implementation in the state, the community charter of demand (CCD), development of M&E policy and framework, development of a 25-year State Development Plan (SDP) for sustainable and transformative development of Ebonyi state in the next twenty-five years, etc.
Victoria Eze the local government manager for the USAID State2State , Ebonyi State, while engaging the new government of the state on S2S interventions addressed the identified gaps, maintaining that relevant ministries need to work in collaboration with the state transformation committee.
In her submission, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Mfon Williams, commended USAID State2State for the assistance rendered to the state and said the state government has already started implementing some of the reform gaps.
She encouraged the STC members not to relent in serving the state through the USAID S2S activities.
