By TINA TIMOTHY

Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has called on Abia State government to create more opportunities for Civil Society Organization engagement to enthrone inclusiveness, transparency and service delivery.

According to FENRAD, this call became necessary as the Civil Society Organisations were celebrating the Open Government Partnership Week 2022 which lasted from Monday, May 16 to Friday, May 20, 2022.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an international multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving transparency, accountability, citizen participation and responsiveness to citizens through technology and innovation.

The OGP was launched on September 20, 2011, to provide an international platform for domestic reformers to make their governments more open, accountable and responsive to citizens.

The eight founding governments of OGP include Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines and Mexico’ the rest are Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States.

The OGP launch followed the formal adoption by the eight founding governments, of the Open Government Declaration and announced their national Action plans.

Abia State signed on to the OGP on April 23, 2018, through a letter of intent from the Governor of Abia State to the OGP Secretariat in Abuja, expressing interest to join in the partnership.

The statement reads: “Annually, the OGP Global Secretariat sets aside a week to enable the global OGP community share their quick wins, success stories and innovative ideas. It is also for stakeholders to reflect on their respective OGP journeys, have a look back and share perspectives of improving their participation in the partnership. It is generally a week dedicated to celebrating open government achievements around the world.

“Abia State Government through the OGP State Action Plan, set out to “increase public integrity by improving public services, enhancing citizen’s participation and empowerment, effectively managing public resources and increasing accountability.” The Abia State OGP Action Plan is anchored on four thematic Pillars and supported by nine commitments with implementation timeline from 2019 to 2021. The plans focus on measures to enhance a more effective management of public resources; ensure a more effective delivery of public service in the key critical sectors; establish enduring and user-friendly mechanisms for meaningful citizen engagement in policy development and implementation processes and hold government officials accountable to the public and the communities.

“After the signing to Open Government Partnership Abia State has made the following enroute to enthrone transparency in the system which include setting up of the Technical Working Group with thematic Group Leaders; preparation and launch of the State Action Plan; setting up of the Steering Committee Members; setting up of the OGP Desk Officers in Various MDAs; setting up of the Procurement Officers in the Various MDAs; constituting and inauguration of the Freedom of Information Desk officers,; official inauguration and launch of the State Action Plan and the State Steering committee and constituting of the Technical Working group for both Government /CSOs

“Success Recorded include the following: Institutionalizing Open Budget in the State; establishment of Procurement portal in the State and Open Data for Details for Procurement information; institutionalizing Community needs identification captured in the State Budget and training of CSOs/Community Monitors and periodic publishing of the budget performance report, Audited Financial Report, Accountant General and Auditor General Reports and Engagement of Stakeholders on the Audit Reports and other intervention.

“The State has also passed the Audit Law and is implementing World Bank's States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme.

“As we celebrate the Open Government week 2022 Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD NIGERIA which its Executive Director Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor is the Civil Society/Non State Actors Co Chair Abia State CSOs Open Government Partnership (OGP) charged the government to create more opportunities for Civil Society Engagement to enthrone inclusiveness, Accountability and transparency in the system.

“Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor decried the minimal Engagement of Civil Society organizations in the State by the Government on issues bordering on Fiscal Transparency and Budget process, especially at the monitoring and Evaluation components of the OGP/STAFs programme. He stressed that the role of the civil society organization is very critical in setting Agenda and providing technical support to improve governance and service delivery.”

The group also called on the Executive Secretary for Abia State Planning Commission to create periodic Dialogue mechanism to engage Civil Society organizations’ as well as for the review of the progress made in the implementation of the State OGP Action plan which ended in 2021.

The statement further reads: “FENRAD called on the Executive Secretary Abia State Planning commission to create periodic Dialogue mechanism to engage Civil Society organizations to debrief the Activities of the Government and create that interface for dialogue and other interaction that will improve the work of the commission and civil society inputs to the overall development of the State.

“FENDRAD also called for the immediate convening of the State Steering Committee meeting to evaluate progress made so far, prepare relevant reports and begin preparation for the development of the second State Action Plan.”