Revisit palliative committee composition – Forum of CSOs tell Gov Umo Eno

To better represent the state’s population and its most marginalized members, the Forum of Civil Society Organizations in Akwa Ibom State, also known as the Guild of Community Development Advocates, has requested that Governor Umo Eno reconsider the membership of the palliative committee.

On Sunday, the group expressed regret that the key target segments of society, including youths, women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), “who are disproportionately affected by the subsidy removal,” were not represented in the newly constituted committee. The statement was endorsed by the forum’s chairman, Harry Udoh, and the secretary, Dr. Nsekpong Udoh.

The conference advised the governor to prove his or her dedication to equity and transparency by using the palliative distribution program to highlight these values in action.

The forum urged the state government to avoid repeating the mistakes made during COVID-19’s palliative distribution, and it also demanded that the committee’s terms of reference be made public so that civil society, the media, legislators, and other accountability actors could monitor the committee’s actions.

It urged the state government to involve civil society organizations in the formation of committees and the making of decisions about the distribution of palliative care.

Given that some of the allocated monies are a loan that will be repaid by the state and the LGAs, the forum also asked for the engagement of local governments in the ownership and management of the palliative program.

For the benefit of all Akwa Ibomites, regardless of their political affiliations, it also asked for the eradication of what it termed “Elite Appropriation” to ensure that the palliative distribution process continues free from elite appropriation and political prejudice.

Forum members thanked the governor for supplementing federal palliative care funding, but also called for more money to be put into the state’s palliative care program to better serve Akwa Ibom’s residents.

We’d also need the government to spell out which social registries will be used in the selection process and how much of the budget would go into administration as opposed to direct aid.