OGP: 15 states yet to sign up for responsive governance – Minister
The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, on Friday said that 15 states were yet to sign unto the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Initiative for responsive governance .
Agba said this while addressing newsmen as part of activities to mark the OGP week in Abuja.
According to him, the OGP week is an annual event set aside by the OGP Global Secretariat to celebrate the wins of the initiative across the world.
He said that the OGP was a global multilateral forum consisting of 78 countries and 76 sub nationals, who committed to various transparency and accountability reforms for improved service delivery of its citizenry.
He added that President Muhammadu Buhari signed into the initiative in 2016 in his desire to stamp out corruption.
He said that after joining the OGP, Nigeria developed the first and second National Action Plans around four thematic areas of fiscal transparency, access to information, anti-corruption, citizens engagement.
“”Fifteen states of the 36 states of the Federation are yet to sign unto the OGP platform.
“I therefore encourage states who have not adopted the OGP to do so without any further delay, being a viable platform for ensuring more responsive governance.
“We have recorded some stories while implementing our laudable OGP programmes; today in Nigeria, the budgetary process is a lot more inclusive, participatory and accessible than it has ever been.
” All the different stages of the budget process are now participatory, citizens now engage and participate effectively in the process.
” As a matter of fact, the budget document has been simplified such that it is all available at the click of a button.”
Agba advised citizens to deliberately play active roles in montoing the budget and goverment projects for effective implementation.
He said the government developed a portal and recently developed an App called the “eye mark” to help citizens participation in the budgetary process.
” We’re also working on the web App because, now we want citizens to see what government is doing.
“We want citizens to be able to see projects that are done by government .
“We want citizens to be able to touch and feel the projects that are done by government so that we no longer have a situation where a world class bridge is said to be built where what we see years after is a wooden bridge .
“That App is currently undergoing testing and you can have access to it by going to www.eyemark.ng to send your feedback and help the government to monitor projects .”
The Non-state Actor Co-chair, Dr Tayo Aduloju, said that the fundamental essence of the OGP week was to demonstrate that cocreation works.
Aduloju said when the collective capacity of government, private sector, civil society are mobilised to energise citizens to participate in governance, the transformation could be seen and felt.
According to him, the key lessons for Nigerians is that if they want a different country they don’t sit outside complaining, they should get involved to change things that is the oportunty that OGP is offering them.
Dr Gloria Ahmed, National Coordinator, OGP Nigeria, said that NAP two would end in May.
Its assesment was ongoing to note the successes and challenges recorded.
Ahmed said that the committee to develop NAP three had already been set up.
” Before the proper work on NAP three commences, we are calling on Nigerians to let us know what their dreams and aspirations are, so that this will be included in that three.”
