The Gombe State Government on Tuesday inaugurated its Open Government Partnership State Steering Committee and Technical Working Groups to ensure transparency, accountability.
Performing the task at a three-day quarterly review of implementation of Gombe State Open Government Partnership organised by United States Agency for International Development State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity, Secretary to Government of the State Professor Ibrahim Njodi, said it was in line with global best practices.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that Gombe State joined OGP in July 2022 to entrench the government’s commitment to promoting fiscal responsibility, access to information and citizens’ engagement. However, the inauguration of the committee and working groups in furtherance to making the OGP programme operational.
Represented by Permanent Secretary General Duties Abdulkadir Adamu, Njodi urged members to key into the deliverables by ensuring the essence of its formation was achieved for the development of citizens of Gombe State.
“Open government is one important avenue towards broadening the base of participation in policymaking and ensuring policies reflect gender and social inclusive considerations. OGP community members are expected to use open government approaches to tackle inequality, exclusion, and inequity directly by addressing the needs of women, youths, persons with disability and other communities,” Njodi said.
Njodi called on development partners to take advantage of the state’s open process by investing in Gombe State, stressing that it transparency, accountability aided the performance in Ease of Doing business in the country.
He added, “They (development partners) should continue to partner with Gombe State. Our state is very peaceful, free from any disaster. We are one and we tolerate. Our state is focused under the leadership of our Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, as residents have witnessed remarkable progress in all aspect development and good governance. His administration has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he fulfilled 99 per cent of his campaign promise. Initiating and executing new programmes and policies that directly touch the lives of ordinary man in the state.”
Speaking earlier, Gombe State Team Lead of USAID State2State, Muhammad Abubakar, said the state OGP thematic areas, commitments and interventions align with State2State objectives.
Abubakar disclosed that the SSC and TWGs were formally inaugurated by government to make them active and accountable to their roles and responsibilities.
He commended the Gombe State Government, for signing into law the OGP and added that “Implementation of the OGP will reinforce and sustain the gains of transparency and accountability in Gombe State. In view of this, State2State supports implementation of the OGP programme in targeted states which include Gombe (others are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Ebonyi and Sokoto), and this is included in the approved State2State year four work plan.”
The STL called on the participants to ensure that the State Action plan is finalised and presented to the governor for signing in the next two days of the workshop.
Abubakar added, “The OGP programme will not be effectively implemented in the state without finalising the SAP. If the SAP is finalised and fully implemented, it will contribute to achievements of increased transparency, accountability and effectiveness leading to ensuring positive development outcomes for citizens.
“The state has demonstrated commitment to implementing the OGP programme by constituting the OGP State Steering Committee and Technical Working Groups. The State has developed the first draft of the OGP State Action Plan with the support of the National OGP secretariat but is yet to be finalised. As part of process to finalise the SAP, the state reconstituted the SSC and TWGs in August 2023 to reflect new changes in political appointees and target institutions.”
He lauded the government for introducing the Treasury Single Account, “Since 2020, achieving high scores in transparency index, achieving commendable heights in State’s Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and, retaining first position in Ease of Doing Business in 2021 and 2023 back-to-back,” Abubakar added.
On his part, Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, commended the efforts of stakeholders to improving the state’s commitment, urging Civil Society Organisations to play their part of check mating the activities of government.
He expressed optimism that with the needed collaboration the state would rank number one.
“You must be the watchdogs, you are the voice of the voiceless. We should ginger government for development, I expect that procurement processes will improve and Gombe State will be number one. The OGP in Gombe should have a plan. I want to call on participants to be proactive,” Dahiru said.
Vice Chairperson of Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, Comrade Gloria Usman, lauded State2State for its far-reaching efforts.
She said, “Let me commend State2State for facilitating this OGP process and the government for accepting to sign. We hope and pray that the non-state actors that are on board will work to see that the process is achieved.”
Great work and reporting. Gombe citizens now need to leverage this openness to participate in governance.
Wait, so Gombe has joined OGP? This is good
Wow! this report was time as the present government of Gombe is starting another 4 years of more expected devidend of democracy to the citizens of the state, so let monitor and evaluate.