APC: Open Treasury Portal will Tackle Public Sector Corruption

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari on the launch of the Open Treasury Portal (OTP), describing it as another groundbreaking initiative that would tackle public sector corruption and plug leakages in the public treasury.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement issued yesterday, said those who want to do business with the government should understand that henceforth, everything would be done in the open.

He added that every Nigerian can now have access to every naira the government is making and every money that the government is spending and on what it is being spent

Issa-Onilu said: “The launch of OTP is yet another giant step in our pursuit of open governance, transparency, and anti-corruption fight, which are the electoral promises APC made to Nigerians.

“In the fight against public sector corruption, the OTP complements other initiatives such as the administration full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which has increased the level of accountability and transparency in the financial resources of the government; stoppage of budget padding, contrary to what we witnessed throughout the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pruning out thousands of ghost workers through stricter implementation of Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS).”

To name a few of OTP’s requirements, the party spokesman noted that all MDAs are to publish their daily reports of payments from N5million; monthly budget performance; quarterly financial statements, and annual financial statements prepared in compliance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

He added that all the reports were to be published within stipulated deadlines on the OTP portal which will be open to and can be accessed by all.

The APC, therefore, urged everyone to support the ongoing efforts at plugging revenue leakage, tackling graft and ultimately rebuilding the country.

Issa-Onilu said countries progress when government and citizens put the interest of the nation above any other consideration.