FINANCIAL AUTONOMY: DTHA Trains Staff On Implementation Of Legislative Budget Framework

The Clerk of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mrs Lyna Ocholor, says the House is committed to effective and efficient implementation of the financial autonomy granted the state legislature.

Mrs Ocholor, a Lawyer, stated this in her opening remarks at a two day technical workshop on the  Implementation of the Legislative Budget Framework in the era of Financial Autonomy.

The Delta Assembly Clerk pointed out that the issue of financial autonomy for the legislature was provided in section 131, sub section 4 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, saying that the implementation of the provisions as contained in the constitution must be given the seriousness it deserved.

She explained that the recently amended financial autonomy law of Delta state by the House in 2018, came with enormous responsibilities for accounts staff of the Assembly, disclosing that the two day technical workshop was to prepare them for the task ahead.

“The reason we are here today is to have these experts take us through the budgeting process in this era of financial autonomy. This is so because this era is a little different from what we used to have in the past. Now we will be held more accountable for our financial transitions, the budget heads and the line items to be considered in our budget”, Mrs Ocholor explained.

The COH reminded the Accounts Officers that in a few weeks time the Governor would be presenting the 2022 budget to the House, maintaining that they should be more professional this time around in handling the duties expected of them in the budgeting process.

“At the end of this training session we will be better educated on how the budget will be brought up to speed and how the framework will be more enduring. It is my expectation that at the close of this exercise our work will be made easier”, she emphasized.

Mrs Ocholor commended the Speaker, Hon Sheriff Oborevwori and the leadership of the House for the express approval for the training program, stressing “it is also expected that at the end of the program we must have developed ourselves to prove that every resource committed to this engagement is worthwhile as the House will always want to have value for its programs”.

“These experts led by the Director General, National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO), Mr Nasiru Mohammed Saidu were consulted to prepare the framework and they are here to put us through the documents they painstakingly prepared over the last few months. I want to thank the leadership of the House ably led by the Speaker Hon Sheriff Oborevwori for this technical workshop. I urge you all to give the training session the desired attention”, she said.

The Director General, National Assembly Budget and Research Office, NABRO, Mr Nasiru Mohammed Saidu, reminded the officials that financial autonomy did not imply absence of probity and accountability.

While urging stakeholders to prepare for expected challenges, Mr Mohammed Saidu, explained that with the autonomy, whatever that was due to the legislature would be sent directly to their statutory accounts.

He said budgeting process in the new era was a key aspect of the task ahead, pointing out that the technical workshop would address most of the expected challenges.

The Director General also commended the Delta Assembly Speaker, Sherrif Oborevwori and his team for their proactive approach to legislative processes and procedures, maintaining that training and retraining of the workforce promoted efficiency in the service.

Participants of the technical workshop were drawn from the legislative, audit, finance and accounts departments of the State Assembly.