Pre-Budget Visits To Communities

During a recent inspection of roads in Agbor metropolis, the Commissioner for Works, Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, disclosed that the state government has embarked on pre-budget visits to various towns and communities in the state to ascertain their infrastructural needs so as to capture them in the 2013 Budget.
Funkekeme said the Uduaghan administration is determined to address the infrastructural needs of  various parts of the state through greater provision of roads, drainages and bridges and that knowing the  peculiar infrastructural needs of various towns and communities in the state would guide the state government in the 2013 budget preparation.
This initiative is commendable, especially as it will benefit Deltans through greater participation in governance and is a further demonstration of the Uduaghan administration’s willingness to carry the people along in matters concerning them.
The initiative is also a testimony to the state government’s domestication of international declarations in the state and its  adherrence to global best practices, as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Declaration had called on governments to always partner with the people on projects that will  benefit them.
The beauty of this concept is that the people, from conception to implementation stages, are carried along and their inputs made to count. Another potential gain is that they will feel greater stake in the projects and this consciouness is needed to enhance the atmosphere for the execution of the projects, especially co-operation with contractors to ensure their speedy and quality completion.
This style of governance is, no doubt, a clear vision of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in ensuring the even development of  the state. The governor, by this policy direction, is demonstrating a deep sense of commitment, not only in meeting the needs of Deltans but also actively involving them in the process.
The state government’s priority attention to the infrastructural development of the state is yielding fruitful results and can be seen  in  various projects across  the state, including completed and on-going projects. Many agree that Governor Uduaghan is fast-changing the face of governance in the state with initiatives such as this.
We believe that with the diligent implementation  of the budget as approved and with the pre-budget visits to the communities, and the inputs therein, things would be better for the people. However, for proper understanding of the new principle, we recommend more enlightenement campaigns to  educate the people on bringing forward their infrastructural needs.
With the assurance of early preparation of the 2013 Budget, Deltans are already looking forward to a greater dawn  in the state because from all indications, they are in for more dividends of democracy in the 2013 Budget.