Bauchi Inaugurates Steering Committee on Open Govt Partnership

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Bauchi State Government yesterday inaugurated the state Steering Committee on Open Government Partnership (OGP) with members of Government and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ibrahim Kashim, while inaugurating the committee at the Government House in Bauchi, said the state government has since signed into the OGP in order to enjoy the full portfolio of OGP processes, capacities and benefits attached.

He said the inauguration of the state Steering Committee is a clear commitment of the present administration towards ensuring that Bauchi joins other states in the country in the implementation of global best practices relating to OGP thus bringing the citizens more closely to the government.

Kashim, who is the state co-Chairman of the Steering Committee, recalled that Open Government Partnership is an international multi-stakeholder’s initiative focused on improving transparency, accountability, citizen participation and responsiveness to citizens through technology and innovation.

According to him, the Open Government Partnership remains a viable platform for civil society organisations to constructively engage government at all levels on an ongoing, real-time basis, thereby ensuring more responsive governance.

The SSG also noted that the OGP engagements stand as a strategic sustainability pillar for the World Bank’s SFTAS grants to the states, helping OGP states to become committed to continuous implementation of the principles of open and transparent governance, as contained in the SFTAS disbursement linked indicators (DLIS) within the OGP co-creation approach and monitored through the independent report mechanism of the global OGP forum.

On her part, the co-Chair of Non-State Actors, Maryam Garba, commended the state government for the inauguration of the committee, and assured it that the civil society organisations in the state will support the initiative for its effective implementation.