The South-South retreat was held at the garden city of Port Harcourt, with stakeholders from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), media houses, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and other Ministries Departments & Agencies (MDAs). The 6 states across the zone were represented during this epoch-making retreat with the theme “Strengthening Financial Accountability at Sub-National Levels”. This event is organized by the Fiscal Responsibility Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and facilitated by OrderPaper.
The Chairman of the Commission – Victor Muruako Esq in his welcome address said the aim of this retreat is to strengthen transparency and accountability at the grassroots, which is one of the core values of the Commission. He mentioned that Fiscal responsibility is at the core of good governance, ensuring that it is retained for the good of the society.
He urged CSOs to engage more in advocacies that will have positive impacts in the nation. The Chairman therefore declared the event open and encouraged everyone to contribute meaningfully because this country is for all of us.
A representative from the Rivers State Auditor General’s Office – Dr Yokina gave his goodwill message and said, there is a need for comprehensive and customized internal control manuals for all Government MDAs. He also lamented on the need for MDAs to have value for any amount spent.
Other goodwill messages were received from representatives from the Cross Rivers State government, EFCC Acting Zonal Director, and CSO. They emphasized the importance of accountability and transparency because it’s our responsibility and looked forward to a fruitful deliberation.
The first technical session taken by Hon. Justice K. Anthony Ojiako focused on the role of CSOs in promoting Fiscal Responsibility at the Sub-Nationals. This session highlighted some of the roles of CSOs including public awareness, advocacies, community mobilization, capacity building, human rights promotions, monitoring, accountability etc. He further discussed what Fiscal Responsibility entails: Transparency, Accountability, Efficiency, and equity. He mentioned that Fiscal Responsibility is crucial for economic growth and that CSOs have a bounden role to ensure the promotion of Fiscal Responsibility through monitoring, anti-corruption efforts, advocacies, and public interest litigation.
Some of the challenges faced by CSOs in promoting Fiscal Responsibility include limited resources, lack of capacity, political interference, and limited access to information. Some of the recommendations include;
1. Strengthening legal framework to protect the independence and activities of CSOs
2. Increased collaboration between CSO, Government agencies, and other stakeholders
3. Ensuring adequate and prompt public access to financial information and date
4. Investing in capacity-building programs for CSOs to enhance their technical expertise.
In conclusion, Hon. Justice K. Anthony Ojiako said Civil Society Organizations contribute to sustainable development and help build a more accountable and responsive public sector that serves the needs of the citizens.
The second technical session was anchored by Chris Uwadoka – an economist and the Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission. This session was centered on unbundling the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) and the Role of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission which includes monitoring compliance with the FRA, conducting investigations, promoting fiscal discipline, studies, and dissemination of results. He rounded up by saying that a public servant should be someone who have integrity and is accountable, which should be upheld.
The last technical session was handled by Head of the operating Surplus Unit of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission – Victoria Adiwu Angakuru. She focused on the topic “Deepening Budget Transparency: Moving Beyond Compliance to Meaningful Citizens Engagement”. She talked deeply about compliance with the FRA, budget cycle, classification of budget, some factors that could deepen budget transparency, and the advantages of budget transparency. One major keyword she kept mentioning was “Transparency”.
In conclusion and in her words “Citizens expectations have increased over time due to awareness and easier access to financial information from the internet, so let us do well by ensuring budget transparency in our budget processes”.
A sideline of the event featured a panel session, to gather diverse perspectives on Financial Accountability and Deepening Transparency. Stakeholders were given opportunities to make contributions and recommendations. A major highlight during the closing ceremony was the development and adoption of a Communique. Thereafter, certificates of participation were presented to everyone who attended the retreat.
The purpose of this retreat include:
- To educate and empower stakeholders across the 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria, on the imperative of sound Fiscal management Practices in our evolving Fiscal Federation, through zonal sensitization programs.
- To Strengthen Financial Accountability at Sub-National levels (State and Local Government Levels) and bring the Government to the grassroots.
- To bring oversight to the role of CSOs in promoting Fiscal Responsibility.
- To help states deepen transparency through meaningful citizen engagements