In a letter of intent to join, dated 4th February, 2022 written by His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello to the Co-chairs of the National steering Committee on Open Government Partnership in Nigeria, which was followed up with an acceptance letter dated 18th March, 2022 from the Minister of State Finance, Budget and National Planning who doubles as the co- chair of the National steering Committee, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, admits the Kogi state Government as a sub national member of the OGP.
Kogi state is the third state in the North Central after Plateau and Niger state to embrace and sign up for the Open Government Partnership initiative which is designed to promote transparency and accountability in public finance and governance.
Sequel to the letter written by the Kogi state Government to the Co-chairs of the National steering Committee(NSC) of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Nigeria and the subsequent visit to the state by the African Centre for leadership, strategy and Development(CLSD), with support of MacArthur foundation on Open Government Partnership, holds a 3days sensitization meeting on Open Government Partnership and development of action plans for Kogi state.
At the meeting, the Honourable Commissioner of Finance,Budget and Economic Planning, Mukadam Asiwaju Asiru Idris,FCA said the state Government as led by Governor Yahaya Bello is in the process of establishing the state OGP steering Committee made up of both state and non state actors which will be saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the affairs of OGP in the state.
Asiwaju notes with great optimism, that His Excellency is desirous to bequeath a legacy of fiscal transparency and accountability in the state, by putting in place several laws, policies and programmes to institutionalize era of fiscal and transparency in the governance system of the state.
The areas in which the state has made marginal strides towards implementation of OGP includes :
Enactment of procurement law 2014 which was reviewed in 2020.
Adoption of 22 Points Fiscal Sustainability Plan.
Participation in the World Bank States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS)
Establishment of the Bureau of Public Procurement and the state procurement Council 2016.
Citizen engagement in the governance process.
Inclsusive Budgeting
Establishment of Kogi State Fiscal Responsibility Commission in 2017
Access to Government information and
Declaration of asset by senior public office holders.
Kogi Open Governance and Accountability System (KOGAS)
He further said, that the priority areas of the state Government includes Health,Agriculture, Education and infrastructural development, saying that those thematic areas, from the administrations take-off, has guided the formulation of Government policies and programmes without undermining the values of openness and accountability.
The Honourable Commissioner thanked the African Centre for leadership, strategy and Development(LSD) and MacArthur foundation for their support in making the organisation of this meeting a success.
In conclusion, he declared the 3 days sensitization workshop open and enjoined all participants to inculcate the reformation drive of His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello by placing the factors of Transparency, Accountability and value for money in the frontline as they offer services in their various offices, saying the quest to make Kogi State a cynosure of all eyes in terms of development is a collective duty.