The Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Council, on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, hosted a delegation from the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Akwa Ibom State Fiscal Responsibility Board for a stakeholders’ consultation on the 2027 budget process.
The meeting, held at the Chairman’s Conference Hall, Council Secretariat, Nung Udoe, was aimed at promoting participatory budgeting, strengthening transparency and accountability in public financial management, and ensuring that the needs and development priorities of the people are reflected in the council’s 2027 budget.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Council Chairman, Rt. Hon. Edidiong Joseph Inyang, the Vice Chairman, Hon. Mrs. Goodness Emmanuel Obot, welcomed the visiting team and reaffirmed the council’s commitment to inclusive governance and meaningful stakeholder engagement.
Speaking on behalf of the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Director of the Directorate of Inspectorate, Mrs. Ime Akpan, described the consultation as a significant step towards effective development planning across local government areas in the state.
She commended the council’s leadership for its cooperation with the supervising ministry and applauded the remarkable improvements at the council secretariat.
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Mr. Ofonime Efanga, who represented Mr. Victor Edet, Director-General of the Akwa Ibom State Fiscal Responsibility Board and Chairman of Fiscal Responsibility Agencies in Nigeria, sensitized participants on the Akwa Ibom State Fiscal Responsibility Law, 2026.
He stressed the importance of citizen engagement in budget preparation, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
He emphasised that engaging internal and external stakeholders—including community representatives, youth leaders, religious leaders and other interest groups was essential to identifying projects and programmes that would address the collective needs of the people.
Efanga also commended the council’s administration for the improvements recorded at the secretariat and expressed optimism about the council’s prospects under the HOPE-GOV programme.
In his presentation, the Director of Budget and Planning, Mr. Nsikan Udoidem, reviewed the 2026 budget and acknowledged the technical support provided by the Ministry and the Fiscal Responsibility Board.
He also presented the Citizens’ Budget, designed to simplify budget information and make government revenue, expenditure and planned projects more accessible to residents.
Additionally, he presented the First Quarter Budget Implementation Report (BIR), demonstrating the council’s commitment to improved financial reporting and public access to budget information.
The Leader of the Legislative Council, Hon. Ubong Ekanem, appreciated the visiting delegation and reaffirmed the council’s commitment to completing ongoing projects and implementing outstanding development initiatives in line with the administration’s priorities.
The consultation was attended by the Head of Local Government Service, Mr. Godwin Duff; the Council Secretary, Dr. Edidiong Essien; councillors; directors; supervisors; youth leaders; representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Traditional Rulers Council (TRC) and Mbong Ibann; and other community stakeholders.
The engagement reinforced the importance of collaboration, fiscal responsibility and citizen participation in shaping the development agenda of Ibesikpo Asutan for the 2027 fiscal year.
Through inclusive planning and responsible financial management, the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Council continues to strengthen the foundations for sustainable development and improved service delivery.
