The Kaduna Local Government Accountability Mechanism (KAD-LGAM) deployed the Community Development Charter (CDC) Performance Tracking tool to generate and analyze the performance of the CDC in the full-year 2022 budget performance of the 23 LGAs. The analysis showed that out of the N9.4 billion expended on 1,788 capital projects across the 23 LGAs, about N3.8 billion was spent on 248 CDC nominated projects, a 40.36% average performance. It further showed a 43% average performance of total CDC budgeted allocation of N8.8 billion.
It is worthy of note that the above data, provided by the LGAs, has not been independently verified by LGAM. Nonetheless, it provides a basis for the planned social audit by LGAM – an on-the-spot implementation verification of CDC nominated projects across the 23 LGAs of Kaduna State. However, the 2022 performance tracking analysis shows an improvement in the performance, in terms of budget release, of the CDC nominated projects compared to previous years.
Globally, evidence shows that governments are better able to deliver development outcomes when citizens are involved in the formulation, tracking of performance and evaluation of annual policy-linked budgets. This is expected to evolve a culture of participatory governance that translates into improved quality of service delivery. Commendably, this perspective has been envisaged by the Kaduna State Local Government Reform Law, 2018.
Particularly, section 56 (1) of the law seeks to encourage and create conditions for the local communities to effectively participate in the affairs of the local governments. These include during the preparation, implementation and review of development plans; the assessment of the performance of the local government executive and legislative councils; and the preparation of the local governments’ budget.
In line with the above, annually, civil society representatives, under the Local Government Accountability Mechanism (KAD-LGAM), supported by the Partnership to Engage, Reform & Learn (PERL), are part of the annual workshop on Budget Harmonization/Finalization and Performance Reporting to track citizens’ influence. This year is no different, as LGAM was on ground at the 2022 Full-Year Budget Performance workshop for the 23 LGAs organized by the Kaduna State Ministry for Local Government Affairs.
The objectives of the workshop were to: facilitate a comprehensive full-year review of the 2022 Local Government budget performance to determine areas of improvement and realignment for improved service delivery; and track implementation of citizens’ nominated projects in respective LGAs and further strengthen citizens’ engagement at the third tier.
In attendance at the workshop, in two batches, were the Deputy Directors of Budget, Deputy Directors of Finance; and Assistant Directors of Budget/Planning from each of the 23 LGAs. Also in attendance were officials of the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, the Honorable Commissioner and relevant officials of the Ministry for Local Government Affairs as well as PERL team, LGAM representatives from eight LGAs (including the secretariat) and media.
In her welcome address, the Honorable Commissioner, Ministry for Local Government Affairs, restated the commitment of the State government to local government reforms. According to her, “the Budget Performance tracking is an important exercise in strengthening Public Financial Management process and system at Local Government level as well as entrenching fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability.”
Furthermore, she stated that “the 2022 half year performance of the Councils showed that actual revenue performance was 39.1% while recurrent and capital performance expenditure were 45.9% and 9.1% respectively.”
Lets engage, ask the right questions and hold the government accountable.
Yusuf Ishaku Goje
Secretariat,
Kaduna Local Government Accountability Mechanism
(KAD-LGAM)
