The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Dr Manassah Daniel-Jatau, urged the State Fiscal Responsibility Commission to enhance public awareness regarding its mandate and the importance of accountability in the management of public funds.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the board’s chairman and members, Daniel-Jatau emphasised that educating the public is crucial for fostering a culture of transparency and responsibility concerning public assets.
He highlighted the need for the commission to adopt a preventive approach in its operations, advising against any tendency to witch-hunt individuals during their oversight activities.
Daniel-Jatau expressed concern that many community members engage in harmful practices due to lack of understanding about their responsibilities regarding public properties.
“Sensitisation is vital to ensure that citizens are better informed about what they should and should not do, particularly when it comes to government assets,” he stated.
The Deputy Governor further shared a troubling example from a recent investigation into the vandalisation of public assets.Revealing that some individuals believed they could sell a transformer that had been inactive for over a decade, thinking it would benefit their community, stressing that such actions stem from ignorance and called for comprehensive public education to prevent similar occurrences in the future. “Government properties are not to be tampered with under any circumstances,” he asserted.
He also proposed that communities be actively involved in understanding the conditions of contracts related to projects executed within their areas. By being informed about project agreements, residents will be better positioned to monitor the execution of these projects and ensure they receive the expected benefits. “When communities know what is due to them, they can hold authorities accountable and ensure projects meet their standards,” he noted.
Responding to the board’s request,the deputy governor expressed support for employing qualified, trained and reliable personnel. He argued that having dedicated staff would significantly improve the board’s output and effectiveness in managing fiscal responsibility within the state. “Investing in reliable, trained, committed and competent personnel is crucial for the commission to fulfill its mandate successfully,” he added.
The Chairman, Gombe State Fiscal Responsibility Commission Alh. Umar Babagoro-Bello, said they were in the deputy governor’s office to familiarise themselves with him having been recently constituted as a product of the state Fiscal Responsibility Law.
He said the commission has adopted the preventive approach to solving about fifty percent challenges across ministries, departments and agencies of the government, including project execution processes to ensure transparency, accountability and adherence to agreed specifications.
He explained to the deputy governor that departments within the commission have been expanded from three to six to aid in handling responsibilities of the office, Babagoro-Bello who used the medium to remind the government about the Commission’s lack of project vehicle which he said is hampering its monitoring and evaluation activities.
He said the Commission need to have its permanent staff instead of the pool staff who are posted and withdrawn from the commission at any time which is not friendly to the sensitive nature of the commission’s activities..
The deputy governor was later presented with an Open Governance Partnership document during the visit.
Jack.A.Tasha
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity,
(Deputy Governor’s Office)
