A group operating in Cross River State under the aegis of Gender-Based Violence Budget Monitoring and Advocacy Committee (GBV-BMAC) has charged the Cross River State Government to establish a monitoring team for tracking of funds allocated for gender mainstreaming initiatives in the state.
The group stated that with a team diversion of funds allocated for GBV initiative into frivolous ventures would become a thing of the past.
Speaking with our correspondent in Calabar, yesterday after the Committee’s brainstorming meeting chaired by Barr. Ann Aloye – Awah, the group emphasized much on due process, accountability and transparency if GBV Budgeting is to make the right impact in the state.
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The committee which was inaugurated in August 2025, by the Center for Gender Economic In Africa (CGE Africa), charged the state government to include men and women of proven integrity in the monitoring team to ensure that funds allocated to GBV are used for the intended purposes.
Speaking on the theme, “Gender Responsive Budgeting for SGBV prevention and Mitigation in Cross River State Awah said “This team would ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) use the funds for their intended purposes, promoting transparency and accountability in the budgeting process.
The committee Chairman, who pushes for gender responsive Budgeting and timely fund releases said, “There are ministries and MDAs that really could work or run with what there had proposed.
Urging the Cross River state government to monitor GBV budget at the state and local government levels, she said, “If such budgetary allocations had been released to any Ministry, what did they do with the money? Government shouldn’t just throw away gender mainstreaming in their budgeting.
“They should look at it closely,there are some core ministries and MDAs that can work with what they proposed.”
“We are not saying if someone asked for N4 trillion, the government should release N4 trillion.
“The government will release what it has. Has the funds been released, if so, have you done what you requested the funds for or the little that was given to you for?
“You won’t force government to give what they do not have. If they have and if they have given. We are talking about almost all the ministries. If they have, what have you done with it?” Aloye questioned.
The group which highlights gaps and challenges in spending and fund use said, “By so doing, state government would have succeeded in optimizing resource allocated and improve the effectiveness of public spending.
Awah called on MDAs to work together with GBV advocacy committee, CSOs, and the monitoring team, allow these organisations to pip into their budgets, so that they assist them with technical support when the need arise.
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