By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
In a significant step towards promoting transparency and accountability in governance, Kogi State Government on Friday in Lokoja inaugurated the Steering Committee on Open Government Partnership (OGP).
Governor Ododo stressed the commitment of his administration to deliver effectively on the Open Government Partnership principles and promised that he would continue to partner with all stakeholders to win the trust of the citizens in governance across the state.
The Kogi state Governor, Alh Ahmed Usman Ododo who was Represented by Deputy Governor Comrade Joel Salifu, said the inauguration marks a crucial milestone in the state’s journey towards good governance.
In his words “I am pleased to present the Kogi State Open Government Action Plan as Kogi is one of the leading states in Nigeria; it has abundant arable land, and makes enormous contributions in the area of agriculture in Nigeria”
“The state has improved in the areas of security and is conducive for investments. The state having successfully embarked on public governance reforms with the support of the World Bank, Kogi State has taken steps to become even more open, transparent and accountable”.
“To this end, I have mandated ministries, departments and agencies under the current administration to strictly prioritize and deliver 100% on these commitments, so as to demonstrate our avowed commitment to accountability, transparency, citizens participation and the adoption of technological to provide effective citizens centred service provision across the state”
“The State is indeed eager to foster increased collaboration between governments and all other external stakeholders with the aim of improving the living conditions of our citizens” he said.
Ealier, Amb. Idris Ozovehe; the Co-Chairman of the Non State Actors, stressed that the motive behind Open Government Partnership is to resolve the issue of Trust Deficit citizens have in government, noting that accountability and transparency remain the key to good governance.
The committee is expected to develop and implement action plans that will enhance transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.
