The Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. Titus Uba has called for a proper synergy between the House and the executive arm of government to ensure rapid transformation of the state.
Mr. Uba made the call at a budget retreat for Benue lawmakers organized at TA’ AL Conference Hotel, Lafia, to equip the lawmakers with the required skills to effectively carry out their constitutional role as legislators.
A press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Lubem Tiav also explained that the retreat was also put together to beam light on how budgeting could get better towards delivering good governance to the people they are representing.
During the retreat, the Clerk of the House, Mr. Torese Agena appreciated the speaker for the retreat explaining that the retreat happened at the time it did because of the inability of the House to get funds from the beginning.
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He thanked Governor Samuel Ortom for rising to the occasion and stating that the implementation of the financial autonomy for the Assembly would tackle a lot challenges facing it.
Earlier, presenting a paper on the topic: ” Benue 2020 Budget of Advancement, Growth and Development: How can the Legislature make it work”, Dr. Patrick Ukase who said the tasks before the members is to critically study the 2020 estimates vis-à-vis the 2019 budget performance with a view to passing a realistic 2020 budget disclosed that the legislature has a duty to help the executive to achieve the ends of advancement, growth and development.
He explained that, as a political statement, the estimates must manifest in concrete developmental terms the articulated manifesto of the ruling elite and how they intend to impact on the social welfare, adding that critical stakeholders such as the executive and legislature work conscientiously to make it happen.
Mr. Ukase maintained that the fulcrum of governance is the budget which structures the order of public activities, saying the performance of any budget is therefore not only analyzed in terms of the size and allocation of funds to priority areas but also in terms of efficient use of the funds channelled to these areas.
