The member representing Nnewi North constituency at the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Nonso Smart Okafor has urged the Prof. Chukwuma Soludo administration to adopt Open Budgeting System as against the current practice of Discretionary Budgeting.
Hon. Okafor made the recommendation during the Revised Budget Defence of Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.
Speaking during the budget bilateral discussion, Hon. Nonso Okafor stated that he is not in support of the practice of lumping of budget which is a non-specific approach to budgeting and does not help citizens verify and monitor the government projects.
According to him, to enhance transparency, the details of the State budget should not be shredded in secrecy, as this will not help lawmakers and the citizens have a clear understanding of progress as regards projects.
While commending the Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ifeanyi Okoma for taking inventory of roads in the State, Okafor insisted that there is a need for the ministry to state clearly the number and location of the roads which the state government has earmarked 50bn to construct under the fiscal year.
The lawmaker added by saying that as a lawmaker he needs to know the number and locations of the roads that will be constructed to ensure that the interest of his constituency will be protected.
He however raised concerns over the quality of the roads past administrations have constructed, which according to him, is nothing to write home about and has led to a waste of resources.
