The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) is set to host a series of sensitisation retreats for states in the south-south, south-east and north-central geopolitical zones of the country.
The sensitisation series is a two-day retreat in Port Harcourt, River State, Owerri, Imo State, and Minna, Niger State.
The first retreat, with the theme “strengthening financial accountability at subnational levels,” will be held from Monday, September 2nd to Wednesday, September 4th, 2024, in Port Harcourt.
A team of experts, including senior judicial officers, economists, chartered accountants, and fiscal analysts, has been assembled to resource the retreats across the country. Participants expected include state commissioners and senior civil servants from the ministries of finance, economic planning, and budget, while agency heads like accountant-generals, auditor-generals and heads of fiscal commissions in the states are also billed to be part of the retreats.
Dignitaries expected to grace the retreats are Chairman of the Senate Committee of Finance, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Rt. Hon. James Faleke. Governors of the host states are expected to deliver a keynote address to set the tone for each meeting.
For the Port Harcourt retreat, the Executive Chairman of the FRC Victor Muruako Esq. is expected to deliver the welcome address, while Hon. Justice Kemakolam Ojiako will deliver a paper titled “Strengthening Oversight: the Role of Civil Society Organizations in Promoting Fiscal Responsibility at the subnational level.”
Fiscal economist, Chris Uwadoka, will deliver another paper on “Unbundling the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Role of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission’’ while a chartered accountant, Mrs. Victoria Adiwu-Angakuru, will speak on “Deepening Budget Transparency: Moving Beyond Compliance to Meaningful Citizens Engagement.”
These papers will be followed by a panel discussion and audience participation, which will contribute to the development and adoption of communiqué. Attendees, who are expected to be drawn from all six states of the South-South zone, will receive certificates of participation.
A statement signed by the Head, Strategic Communications Directorate, FRC, Mr. Bede Ogueri Anyanwu, the sensitisation retreats will thereafter proceed to the South-East and North-Central geo-political zones later in the month of September.