Stakeholders in Anti-Corruption and Accountability in public funds have called for the domestication of Nigeria’s Fiscal Responsibility Commission Act in the North Central States of Nigeria to promote transparency and accountability.
The call came during the North Central Zonal Summit of Fiscal Responsibility Institutions funded by the European Union and being implemented by the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (RoLAC) and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) held in Jos the Plateau State Capital.
The two-day engagement with the theme: ‘Integrating the Citizens into Fiscal Decision-Making in States and Local Governments: Insight from Fiscal Responsibility Act’ is aimed at ensuring the dividends of democracy reach the people as expected with prudence in financial management.
Addressing participants, Executive Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Victor Muruako, harped on the need for citizens’ participation in fiscal decision-making, stressing that such will promote transparency and accountability, which are essential components of good governance.
Represented by his Special Adviser, Chris Uwadoka, the FRC chairman said the essence of the summit was to facilitate the domestication of the Act by sub-nationals.
He maintained that the theme of the summit underscores the importance of strengthening fiscal responsibility and promoting citizen participation in public finance management at the sub-national level.
He said, “Transparency and accountability are essential components of good governance. The public has the right to know how public funds are being allocated, spent, and managed. This includes information about budget proposals, expenditure reports, and audit findings.
“By promoting transparency, we can empower citizens to hold public officials accountable and ensure that public resources are used efficiently and effectively.
“Recent initiatives such as the Open Government Partnership, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Sustainable Fiscal Frameworks (SFF) have made significant strides in promoting citizen participation and accountability in public finance management. These reforms aim to strengthen transparency, enhance public oversight, and improve service delivery.”
The Plateau State Coordinator of RoLAC Programme of International IDEA, Mr Pwanakim Mantin Dala, said citizens’ participation in the management of resources is key for any government operations across various levels, especially at the grassroots level.
“The Fiscal Responsibility Act looks beyond releasing budgetary information to the public; it looks at how the fund is being applied. It also looks at what the funds were allocated for and whether the funds were properly utilized for the purposes. So that you’re not spending so much for so little and that’s what this engagement is all about.”
On his part, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr Caleb Mutfwang, represented by the Commissioner of Finance, Mrs Grace Dongkum, assured that the state was already in the process of domesticating the Fiscal Responsibility Act to further strengthen government operations.
He said, “Fiscal Responsibility is an integral part of government, especially financial management, because it is about transparency.
“One thing about transparency is that you manage the resources in such a way that it meets the critical needs of sectors and still have resources for future use. Fiscal Responsibility and Act wants to ensure that we don’t finish everything we have right now; we think of the future.
“So, in decisions that we will make, we are being transparent, and we situate projects or services in such a way that they will have long-lasting effects and also ensure that the future benefits from the decisions that are taken now.”
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