BRIEF REPORT ON THE TWO DAYS WORKSHOP FOR CSOs & COMMUNITIES ON TEXHNOLOGICAL TOOLS TO DEMAND AND TRACK SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENTS' USE OF EXTRACTIVE REVENUE, HELD AT BENIN CITY.

The workshop witnessed the active participation of participants drawn from Delta, Edo, Imo and Ondo states during a validation workshop for CSOs and communities on technological tools to demand and track subnational government"s use of extractive revenue.

Held between 23-24 October 2019,  at Golden Tulip Hotel, G.R.A- Benin City.

Over the two days workshop, participants learnt and gained various knowledge and gained new insights around the subject matter of the workshop.

Gaining deeper insight into findings from how the FAAC disbursed funds and allocations to state governments, with special focus on Edo, Delta, Imo and Ondo States.

Trained on how oil revenue, state budgets and insight into public financial management of Delta, IMO and Ondo states.

The sections were revealing, an eye opening learning opportunities about realities in most oil and gas host and impacted communities.
The realities about how state agencies within the extractive sector implement her roles as well as realities at hand.

The only opportunities before me and my fellow committed comrades, remains to think out and work strategically with some tireless spirit of solving these horrible realities in the Niger Delta Region amidst all the natural wealth and visible ugly on going realities.

When the total revenue and allocations from the center for these states over a time line of ten years unveal the question of leadership and level of citizens knowledge and engagement into public governance.

Too bad that these states IGR Vs Recurrent Bills shows near zero collapse of state leadership, one begins to question why these states should seek for bail out from the FG.

Why will our states convince me that our mineral revenue is less than recurrent expenditure, how do I believe it that my state's leadership in the past 18 years spent more than we earned from our mineral resources and spent same more on recurrent expenditure more than on capital expenditure.

This trends need not continue henceforth, say beginning from 2020 before the end of the SDGs by 2030.

Too sad at unveiled realities, but we will never curse the now known darkness, but must seek ways and means to light candles and solar lamps\torches.

For all my fellow independent comrades and active citizens, there are lots of work to be done, we must wake up to engage the process in Delta State.

The role of citizens in all of these ugly trends is key to sustainable development.

Soon, these trend will change, only if you (truly independent comrade) will join hands with me as we seek means to strengthen social accountability projects in Delta State.

Towards the end of the workshop, the Delta delegates shared what their post workshop engagements will become and committed to fill those roles between now till December 2019.

One of the major high light of the two days capacity building opportunity were the lessons learnt about Federal Account Allocation disbursement to Delta, Edo, Imo and Ondo States, second was an in sigh into public financial management of oil revenue of these states, lastly was the program's consultant inputs towards a successfully future implementation of the prroject in the mentioned states.

The second day's session had two technical sessions masterfully handled by the dou of Busayo Morakinyo and Mukhtar Halilu Moddibo.

Participants gained deeper insights and knowledge from topics such as "understanding follow the money"; "its advocacy policy and influencing strategies" as we'll as "data mining and approaches of follow the money"

Finally, Dr Dieter Bassi and Dr Dauda Garuba facilitated parts on next steps after the workshop and wrap up session respectively.

We committed to engage the state assembly's committee on Oil and Gas, DESOPADEC, Oil and Gas Commissioner, seek oppourtunities to work with the communities, we had previous engagement with and find opportunities to step down knowledge and insights gained from this workshop with other stakeholders back in our state and engaged state actors and duty bearers in our state via various mail correspondence.

Team Delta State rose from the workshop with a huge sense of gratitude to both NEITI & CODE and look forward to joining hands with them on continous implantation of more future  Social accountability engagement in Delta State and in other Niger Delta States.

Thank You, NEITI
Thank You, CODE

With lots of love from connected development-team delta state, led by Comrade Okonta Emeka Okelum