To allow transparency and accountability in the management of funds accrued to local governments in Osun State, stakeholders have sought the release of its budget to public scrutiny.
This is part of the recommendations in a communiqué released at the end of a stakeholders townhall meeting on “Local Government and Uniform Development at the Grassroots,” organised by the Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development on its OsunOpenLG project.
Speakers at the meeting hinged on a citizen-driven advocacy that will open up activities at the third-tier of government to the public, in a bid to ensure probity and good governance at the grassroots.
They also called for full participation of the citizenry in the forthcoming local government elections in the state.
The stakeholders include the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Egbedun, represented by Hon. Adewumi Adeyemi; Osun ICPC Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Barr. Hassan Mohammed; OSSIEC Chairman, Barr. Hashim Abioye and Chairman, Osun State Civil Societies Coalition, Comrade Waheed Lawal.
Others are Osun NAWOJ Chairperson, Abisola Ariwodola, Executive Director, Kimpact Development Initiative, Mr. Bukola Idowu, Programme Director, National Democratic Institute (NDI), Mr. Bem Aga, representatives of political parties, the media, nongovernmental organisations, as well as people living with disability (PWDs).
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“It is more than vital to at this point demand more in terms of transparency and accountability at the local government level. This is because the people are desirous of a government that works for them.
“The era of asking the federal government for everything is over. Almost all yearnings and aspirations are directed to either the President or the Governor when most of these responsibilities are constitutionally the obligation of local governments.
“Stakeholders agreed that it is time to further emancipate the council areas and make them more accountable to the public. Consensus centred around the public scrutiny of the annual budgets of the third-tier of government. It was the opinion of many to have their fiscal documents in public domain so that the electorate can make inputs and demand better.
“It is also heart-warming to note that anticorruption agencies like ICPC is ready to establish a unit to track the disbursement of local government funds. It restates that we only need to continue to speak up to get the best from our political leaders and ourselves as citizens do our own part.
“The townhall among other resolutions pledged to keep an eye on efforts to strengthen institutions especially political parties on whose platforms leaders emerge. Debates also did not leave out the State Independent Electoral Commissions and why they must avoid any form of malpractice in the forthcoming council polls across the country,” the communique reads in part.
Addressing the OsunOpenLG advocates, Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyedule Makama urged them to avoid partisanship and build on the strength of a youth-driven advocacy that will actualise their developmental dreams.
Earlier, Convener of the townhall and Executive Director, Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development, Jare Tiamiyu said the event was to get the buy-in of stakeholders on the OsunOpenLG project as a lead to the local government advocacy arm of the programme.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
