The Cross River State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to participatory governance and inclusive budgeting with the successful hosting of the 2027 Budget Consultative Forum for the Northern Senatorial District at the Ogoja Local Government Council.
The forum brought together government officials, community leaders, stakeholders and residents from across the Northern Senatorial District to review ongoing development efforts and contribute to the preparation of the state’s forthcoming budget.
Speaking at the opening of the event, the Permanent Secretary in the Department of Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation, Governors Office, Dr Peter Uklala, described the consultative forum as a critical platform for citizen participation in governance.
He urged participants to “take advantage of the opportunity to articulate the developmental needs of their communities,” while highlighting several projects executed by the administration of Governor Bassey Otu across the state.
Also speaking, the State Economic Adviser, Prof Peter Akpa Oti outlined the government’s vision for the consultative exercise.
He stressed the need for stakeholders to prioritise projects that would improve access to basic social amenities and critical infrastructure, noting that such interventions would have the greatest impact on the welfare of the people and sustainable development across the Northern Senatorial District.
The technical session featured a presentation by a Public Financial Management Expert, Mr Ben Ubi, who explained the structure of the state’s annual budget, including revenue generation and expenditure allocation. He emphasised the importance of effective planning and prudent implementation in achieving the government’s development objectives.
During the interactive session, stakeholders reviewed the administration’s development footprint across Ogoja, Yala and other local government areas in the district. Participants, including Mr Emmanuel Iyaji, Mrs Rose Ngaji, and Mr Paul Iwara, highlighted completed and ongoing projects executed by the state government, while a visual presentation showcasing photographs of the projects further demonstrated the administration’s commitment to infrastructure and socio-economic development.
Participants also commended the government for creating an avenue for citizens to contribute to the budgeting process and identified priority areas requiring further intervention, including critical infrastructure and essential public services. Their recommendations were documented for consideration in the preparation of subsequent state budgets.
The forum concluded with a group photograph involving government officials, community representatives and other stakeholders, underscoring a renewed commitment to sustained collaboration in planning and implementing development projects across the Northern Senatorial District.
The Budget Consultative Forum forms part of the Cross River State Government’s efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability and citizen participation in budget formulation.
