The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness Activity (State2State) Nigeria have called on the Ebonyi State Government to ensure the full implementation of the Financial Reforms to ensure accountability and transparency in its financial management.
The USAID State2State Internal Control Manual and Internal Control Self Assessment Consultant in charge of Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom States, Prof. Paschal Okolie gave the charge during a 3-Day training organised in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital for some key staff of the State Government on the Development of Internal Control Manual and Internal Control Self Assessment Tools.
Prof. Okolie said that USAID State2State has been helping the state government in the development of financial manangement reforms, adding that the Financial Instructions and Finance (Control and Management) Bill have already been developed in partnership with the state awaiting their approval by the Executive Council and passage by the State House of Assembly.
“Having developed the Financial Instructions and the Bill, there became a need to develop the internal control manual that will guild the operation of the Financial Instructions and the Bill when passed into law. During the training, the staff were taken through on the use of the Internal Control Manual.
“We also helped them to develop the Internal Control Self Assessment Tools that they can use to assess themselves to monitor progress in implementing these financial reforms.
“Our target is for the state government to be able to have a way of assessing themselves and again be able to know where they are getting it right and where they are getting it wrong in the implementation of the financial reforms in the State.
“One of the key areas they will assess themselves if they are doing well or not is in the area of monitoring and risk assessment. The score will show progress they are making, if they are getting a negative scores, it will show that there is need for improvement. They will work on it and gradually attain perfection,” Prof Okoli said.
Addressing the participants, the USAID State2State, Public Financial Management Specialist, Mr. Chibueze Nwonye maintained that the focus of the agency is accountability, transparency and effectiveness, adding that the manual is one of the tools in the catalogue of the tools and processes in helping the state.
He expressed the optimism that the State will implement the reforms which he said will increase the management of funds, efficiency in the service delivery and the general good of the people of the state.
The specialist also called for the sustainability of the good partnership between the State and the agency.