By Asma’u Ahmad
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly said it will ensure full implementation of budgetary allocations to all Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) through its oversight function. Speaker of the house, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe gave the assurance at the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) Retreat for Nasarawa State policymakers in Abuja.
The legislative retreat was geared toward increased domestic funding for health care, especially child and family health issues.
Alhaji Balarabe said that the health sector remained one of the critical sectors that required attention of any government.
He pledged the commitment of the house to ensuring efficient and effective health sector through improved budgetary allocation.
He urged the participants – commissioners for Health, Education, Budget and Planning, among others – to utilise the opportunity and ensure judicious use of all allocations to their ministries.
The speaker said that public office was not meant to enrich anyone but for service to humanity based on available resources.
He said that one of the challenges facing the legislature was dislike for its oversight function by some MDAs.
He said that oversight functions were aimed at ensuring provision of quality services for citizens as well as ensuring accountability.
According to the lawmaker, the house will do its best to ensure that, at least, 70 per cent of allocations to MDAs are implemented.
“One of the constitutional responsibilities of the legislative arm of the government is to carry out oversight function, but most MDAs often frown whenever they are informed of our visit to their offices.
“I assure you that members of the assembly will continue to make sure we provide the best for our people. We have four years to succeed, and we must not waste our time; we must make sure we provide all the good services required as a government to our people.”
He commended the organisers of the event, saying that the forum would afford the participants the opportunity of gaining more knowledge to allocate appropriately in the 2017 budget.
Earlier, Programme Manager, Dr. Hassana Adamu, Health Reform Foundation (HERFON), said that the retreat was to sensitise the legislative and executive arms of the state government to the need to improve heath budget to accommodate family health issues.
Dr. Adamu urged the legislature to give priority attention to oversight function geared toward proper use and accountability of funds for family health.
