Abia State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative, aimed at promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability in the state.
The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Kingsley Anosike, made this known on Tuesday in Umuahia, during a meeting between Abia OGP state and non-state actors including officials from the National Open Government Partnership and the African Center for Leadership, Strategy and Development.
The OGP; a multilateral initiative is dedicated to fostering government commitment to transparency, citizen empowerment, corruption eradication, and improved governance.
Mr Anosike while underlining the present administration’s commitment to the OGP initiative, pointed out that Governor Alex Otti has introduced numerous reforms to address systemic issues in addition to demonstrating resolve to maintain a transparent and responsive government.
He emphasized the government’s readiness to allocate all necessary resources to ensure the success of OGP in Abia state.
“OGP is a co-creation initiative aimed at improving governance, citizen participation in decision making process, fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, and prudent usage of resources for the common good of all citizens.
“However, the OGP process is led by the government and we are assembled here to show our commitment to this process.
“We view your visit as a testament to the efforts of this administration in strengthening transparency, accountability and probity in government.
“We assure you of our full cooperation in this partnership”, Anosike affirmed.
The Programme Coordinator of African Center for Leadership Strategy and Development, Mr Lawal Amodu, in his remarks, described the OGP as a catalyst for good governance and socioeconomic development.
Amodu who highlighted that 25 states across the nation have embraced the OGP initiative and were at different stages of implementation said the team was in Abia to meet with state and non-state stakeholders to explore strategies for advancing OGP in the state.
The National Civil Societies Adviser of OGP, Mr Uchenna Arisukwu, expressed dismay that OGP had been static in Abia since 2018 when it joined the programme.
Arisukwu said that “the oxygen of OGP is political will and support”, and called on stakeholders to drive the state’s OGP action plan and implementation process to make the programme succeed.
He commended the present administration for showing commitment to OGP by reviewing the state’s action plan to align with its rebuilding agenda.
In his contribution, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Multilateral Donor Agencies, Mr. Odinaka Eme underscored the significance of a Needs Assessment in the effective execution of OGP and affirmed the administration’s readiness to collaborate with international and multilateral platforms.
Also, the Co-Chair of Abia OGP Non-State Actors, Barr Agbonma Ukaobasi reiterated the importance of OGP in the governance process, emphasizing its alignment with global best practices.
Ukaobasi who appealed for cooperation between state and non-state actors, underscored the collaboration’s potential to improve the lives of Abia citizens.
