-Wants Imo CSOs to engage Govt
By Onyinyechi Kanu
The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (center LSD) last Wednesday September 16, 2020, in Owerri, sensitized Civil Society Organizations in the State on “Open Government Partnership” on the need to participate effectively in governance.
Held at City Global Hotels, Owerri, the Abuja based NGO, with funding and support from MacArthur Foundation, USA, educated Imo State based CSOs to work with governments, hold them accountable, carry out advocacy, mount pressure on government to do the right things to improve the welfare and Development of the people.
In a chat with newsmen before the commencement of of the seminar, the Civil Society Advisor on Open Government Partnerships (OGP), Comrade Stanley Achuma urged the CSOs to ensure to work with the democratic governments which they helped to put in place.
“We are here talking to the CSOs to work with their government counterpart to make this process effective. There are few things that the State government has signed into, implementing, especially under the World Bank Assisted Safe Waters Program towards improving payroll system, using biometrics, BVN, dept management, budget transparency, improving procurement, thus improving internal revenue and collection”.
Continuing, the CSO advisor explained that, as part of OGP process, the Federal government and the World Bank are giving out Grant to States to encourage them to carry out some of these reforms and for the each of these reforms, there is specific amount attached to It, and it is called “Performance for Result “.
According to him, the State stands to gain for carrying out these reforms and if the State performed and the result is obvious then there is a reward, but more importantly the process will make the citizens of the State to understand the process involved in running the government and to make the government more transparent and accountable.
The high point of the program was the opportunity by members of CSOs to share their wonderful experiences through out the Seminar and resolve to contribute their quota in making sure that Imo State involve effectively in the process of Open Government Partnerships (OGP).
