Kogi Inaugurates State Steering Committee on Open Govt Partnership for  Accountability

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

As part of efforts to continue to remain transparent and accountable, the Kogi State Government has inaugurated the steering committee on the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to ensure citizens’ participation in governance.

While inaugurating the steering committee at the conference hall of the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Lokoja last Monday, the SSG, Mrs. Folashade Arike Ayoade, explained that transparency and accountability have been the watchwords in the past eight years of the immediate-past administration of Governor Yahaya Bello.

Ayoade stated that Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from national and sub-national Governments to promote Open Government, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.

She noted that this is a programme that would place Kogi State on the global map in the areas of transparency, accountability and citizen participation.

According to her, “OGP was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform for domestic reformers who are ready to make their government open, accountable and responsive to citizens.

“So today, we are gathered to reinforce and reiterate governments’ commitment to issues of transparency. As we all know, the present administration under the dynamic leadership of Governor Usman Ododo has been at the forefront of practicing and implementing the principles of open government.

‘The involvement of citizens in governance has assumed a whole new dimension with the appointment of men and women in all levels of government.

“Adopting the OGP principles will provide a stronger platform that will deepen the existing citizen participation that is already fostered in the state.

“The involvement of Civil Society Organisations in this programme is also a new way of ensuring effective citizen participation and accountability.

“It is in this light that I enjoin all the members to buy into this global initiative for the growth and prosperity of Kogi State.”

The state Commissioner for Finance Budget and Economic Plan, Asiwaju Ashiru Idris, and the state Chairman of KOGONET, Muriana Ozovehe, are expected to co-chair the state Steering Committee.

Idris, while speaking in a chat with journalists, said Kogi State was the leading state in transparency and accountability, as  the OGP promotes accountability with people participation in governance.