N81.68bn Supplementary Budget: Matters Arising!

By YUSUF GOJE

Regardless of the good intention - anything for us, without us, cannot be for us.

I have been wondering if the Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitment one (Open Budget) covers supplementary budgets in Kaduna state..

The proposed supplementary budget of 81.68bn before the Kaduna State House of Assembly (KSHoA) is about 51.8% of the total 2019 approved budget of N157.45bn; which when passed will take the budget for the year to about N230bn. This is said to be from the World Bank loan approved for Kaduna state.

While I have no personal issue with the loan, because it has a clause that makes it non-discretional (tied to projects) and we are ready as civil society to track its utilization; over the past three years, even with the OGP in place, we have been having supplementary budgets passed without citizen's engagement and inputs, more so, without their initial knowledge. We usually become aware of it just before or after KSHoA passes it into law.

Does that mean that the role of the Civil society as 'co-creators' in OGP commitment one is just superficial when it comes to supplementary budgets?

Are we expected to be a rubber stamp Civil Society co-partners? Due to the fear of being victimized for calling the government to account?

Are we expected to defend what we are not part of? Factoring the IRM assessment of the OGP State Action Plan implementation, when it takes place.

Or are we expected to just fall in line, while we make the rest of the world believe all is well? While those we represent, the wider citizens, think otherwise.

For God's sake, as civil society on the OGP platform, we represent the people; and it is expected that we should amplify their issues and protect their interest through the OGP, and not become satisfied and elitist just because we have access to the government.

What is worth doing, is worth doing well. The OGP commitment on Open Budget says - "ensure more effective citizen's participation in the entire budget cycle". Can we really say, between God and man, that this is the case with the present reality of the supplementary budget before the KSHoA?

OGP stands on the pillars of transparency, accountability and citizen's engagement; therefore, all government actions should be measured on the foregoing.

This supplementary budget is a true test of government's sincerity and commitment to the principles of OGP, and that of the willingness of the civil society co-partners to represent the interest of the wider citizens. We are not just part of the OGP to support the government to score international recognition or favors but to ensure improvement in the quality/quantity of public service delivery and enhance the living standard of the people.

Where the government has done well we must commend and encourage them; so also, where they have fallen short we are duty bound to call them to order and correct them.

My conscience has spoken.

Yusuf Ishaku Goje is a member of the Technical Working Group Commitment one on Open Budget, Open Government Partnership Kaduna

Comments

NEWS FEATURE: Governor el-Rufai and the Sanctity of the Ballot

el-Rufai: Voting at his polling unit BY NASIRU JAGABA F irst of all, let me start by congratulating the Citizens of Kaduna State, for violence free election in the local government polls. The peaceful conduct of the citizens in Kaduna despite the happenings that had shown clearly the desperation of persons in the corridor of power to manipulate, overturn the result refused to give in to the chaos but rather responded with all sense of maturity and confidence in the sanctity of the ballot. Had Kaduna responded in similar desperation as shown by the institutional riggers, perhaps curfew would have been slammed in several areas which would have created the perfect cover for the malpractices to happen. The hate speeches and incitement from the top government officials in Kaduna state government did not end on the platforms for the campaigns alone but went further to reflect in the exercise that held. There are several accounts going round about thugs accompanyin...

Kaduna online Publishers move to tackle fake news

T he maiden Public Lecture and Award Presentation by the Arewa Online Publishers Association is underway in Kaduna to address fake news and promote ethical standards for overall good of the society. With the theme: 'The Role of New Media in Nation Building', the lecture will be delivered by renowned Professor Umaru Pate of Bayero University Kano (BUK) at Arewa House Banquet Hall, Kaduna tomorrow being Wednesday, November 27, 2019. Some distinguished great Nigerians and Corporate Organizations who have made outstanding contributions to nation building would be honoured at the epoch-making occasion. The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman is the Royal Father of the Day while the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufa'i is the Chief Host. The Association with its headquarters in Kaduna , is a cream of seasoned Journalists who operate Online Media platforms across the 19 Northern States and Federal Capital Territ...

DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE:

'Our lives depend on our Environment' -Environmentalist Dr. Emeghara with participants at the roundtable Dr. Emeghara Ursula Ukamaka is the Deputy Provost Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna State. She represented the College at a recent round table engagement involving non state actors for Climate Action and Sustainable Development Goals in Kaduna State. She spoke to Cubink's Bala Shekari ...

Open Government: Expert cautions Kaduna on Open Budget

A summary of the state government's commitment to open budget By DANGWA DANJUMA T he Kaduna State Fiscal Responsibility Law (2016), should be reviewed to guarantee citizens participation in the budget process. Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development's (CALPED) Head of Leadership, Governance and Advocacy, Yusuf Ishaku Goje who dropped the hint, maintained that "an amendment bill of the Fiscal Responsibility Law (FRL, 2016) should also be sent to the House of Assembly to capture the CDCs as an integral part of budget process". This, he said would surely, "boost citizen’s confidence in the State government and ensure we deliver on the OGP key performance indicators on open budget." During this year’s budget formulation, CDCs generated from some of the local government areas were submitted to the Planning & Budget Commission, but no evidence to show that a single one was captured in the 2020 approved budget....

'Sign Seed Bill to rescue Nigerian Farmers'

President Muhammadu Buhari By EDDY OCHIGBO Farmers in Nigeria and critical stakeholders in the nation's agricultural sector have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the National Agricultural Seeds Council(NASC) Amendment Bill, towards taking agriculture to the next level in the country. Speaking during the week, at a one-day strategy session in Abuja, put together by the National Agricultural Seeds Advocacy Group (NASAG) in collaboration with Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn(PERL-ECP), NASC's Director-General, Dr Olusegun Ojo, said the call for the president to sign the Seed Bill became necessary because access to quality seeds of improved crop variety would no doubt go a long way in enhancing and sustaining agricultural productivity and food security to compliment the on-going efforts by the Buhari administration to diversify the economy. "The general decline in growth rate of agriculture's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) ...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog