From Mba Nnenna- Abakaliki
The USAID Nigeria State Accountability, Transparency, and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity, Ebonyi state has emphasised the need for sustainability of governance projects by the State Transformation Committee.
The Agency stressed the need, during a Quarterly Review Meeting of Ebonyi State Transformation Committee, STC, at its office Secretariat, Abakaliki.
In an opening remark, the State2State Team Lead, Dr. Sam Onyia represented by the Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist GESI, Ejiro Okotie while stating its objectives said State2State is a governance project which has been in Ebonyi state since 2020 and will be rounding off August 2025. Adding that State2State has been supporting the state with Public Financial Management system either in Procurement, Audit, Budget and so on.
“The hope is that, with a stronger Public Financial Management system, Internally Generated Revenue etc, the government can have more resources allocated to service delivery, per every sectors of; Health, Education, Water Sanitation and Hygiene etc.”
Speaking on the duty of the State Transformation Committee STC, the GESI specialist said “We recognized that there’s a need for us to have certain conditions/structures in place to be able to project certain projects, and that’s what the State Transformation Committee, STC, in consolidating on all work been done they can help us sustain that,” Ejiro said.
She further stressed on the need for STC members in stepping down the knowledge gained from the workshop to other staffs/colleagues in their various offices/departments or even when transferred to another location, while ensuring that the knowledge goes round.
Adding their voices, the Executive Director, DOVENET, Mrs Ugo Nnachi, and the State Auditor General Elder Dr. Uduma Samuel Aka, urged STC members to ensure that the state government recognises the impact of USAID State2State activities on them. Also in a Conference held at Abuja for STC members from different states, Dr. Uduma affirmed that USAID State2State was well represented, and the team commended highly the work been done in Ebonyi state while hoping that it will be sustained.
The STC comprises of top government officials who are representatives from different Ministries Department and Agencies, MDAs, and members of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, as well as 2 Co- Chairs (Government/CSOs side).
Addressing the meeting, the Co- Chair for the CSOs Mr Ewa Eleri, Executive Director, Technology for Transformative Development Foundation, TTD, represented by Miss Lovenda Nnachi while appreciating State2State for creating a good synergy between the CSOs and the state Government, and for supporting governance activities in the state, assured that the strength institutions (STC) will continue to work to ensure that governance is sustained, even while they (State2State) are gone.
