The Kogi State government has inaugurated a steering committee on the Open Government Partnership to ensure citizens’ participation in governance.
The Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Dr Folashade Arike Ayoade who inaugurated the committee, explained that transparency and accountability have been in existence in the past eight years of the immediate past administration of Yahaya Bello.
Ayoade averred that Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from national and Sub-national Governments to promote Open Government, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.
She noted that the program will put Kogi State on the global map in the areas of Transparency, Accountability and Citizen Participation.
“OGP was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform for domestic Reformers who are ready to make their government Open, Accountable and Responsive to citizens.
“So today, we are gathered to reinforce and reiterate Governments’ commitment to issues of Transparency. As we all know the present administration under the dynamic Leadership of His Excellency Alhaji Usman Ododo has been at the forefront of practising and implementing the principles of Open Government.
‘The involvement of citizens in governance has assumed a whole new dimension with the appointment of men and women at all levels of government.
“Adopting the OGP principles will provide a stronger platform that will deepen the existing citizen participation that is already fostered in the State.
“The involvement of Civil Society Organisations in this programme is also a new way of ensuring effective citizen participation and ensuring accountability.
‘It is in this light that I enjoin all the members to join this global Initiative for the growth and prosperity of Kogi State”, the SSG posited.
Newsmen gathered that the Kogi State Commissioner for Finance Budget and Economic Planning Asiwaju Ashiru Idris and the State Chairperson, Kogi NGO’s network, KOGONET, Idris Ozovehe Muriana are expected to co-Chair the State Steering Committee.