Collins Edomaruse
19 October 2008
Lagos — Ahead of the presentation of the 2009 Budget Proposal to the National Assembly, the Federal Government has introduced a number of measures to give more impetus to the administration's transparency and accountability drive. One of the measures, THISDAY checks at the Presidency revealed, is the unveiling of a new payment regime for contracts and other services.
Announcing the new measures at the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last Friday, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua told the Council members that: "there will no longer be physical contacts between accounts officials and contractors with regards to payments."
The source further said that the President ordered that: "Henceforth, designated contractors will be paid electronically so as to avoid the current situation in which they have to bribe to be paid for work done and to ensure the payments could be easily tracked."
THISDAY checks further revealed that the President's action was deliberately taken to further instill transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business with regards to next year's budget.
Besides, Yar'Adua informed his ministers and other government officials in attendance at the meeting that: "There will no longer be cash payments with regards to recurrent expenditure because it has been subject to widespread abuse with junior officials issuing cheques in their names to bring cash to MDAs for onward transmission to their bosses. All payments now should be in cheques so that there would be proper records" the President ordered.
He also directed that: "Henceforth, procurement of equipments should be from manufacturers certified by the Due Process Office to cut off middle men, especially where this would guarantee performance backed by quality assurance and cost saving."
In the 2009 budget, according to the source, the President also announced that provisions for insurance for group life, buildings and vehicles in the chart of MDAs have all been removed in line with the proposal to set up a central insurance agency for government.
Yar'Adua had indicated his administration's desire to change the way government business was being handled when he told Nigerians in a broadcast that: "We have resolved as an administration, not to resort to quick fix methods and short-cuts in approaching fundamental problems which require methodical and sustainable solutions,"
Yar'Adua had restated his administration's determination to the entrenchment of transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.
"Our commitment to the entrenchment of transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business remains unwavering.
"In practical demonstration of our efforts to sanitise the financial and budgetary processes, we have realised over N400bn from the unspent capital releases to ministries, departments, and agencies.
"The strengthening of the anti-corruption institutions and other law enforcement agencies is a direct consequence of our determination to institutionalise zero-tolerance for corruption.
"Our ultimate goal is to engender a culture of prudence, diligence, honesty, sincerity, decency, transparency, selflessness and accountability in our polity".
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seeing is beleiving. until the president passes the freedom of information bill into law, i will never beleive whatever he says. if u want me to beleive u, mr president, just pass the FOIB, into law, as amended/agreed, by the nigerian guild of editors. if u do that, i will fight anyone who touches u. outside that, u, madam EFCC, both houses, rep and senate, all of u are theives. i am as usual, CAPITAL G.C.
It takes a thief to catch a thief, may be we should set you after them.
It takes a thief to catch a thief, may be we should set you after them.
It's a good sign for moving the Country forward......Nigeria at 48, with all the wealth that we supposedly have, we should and correctly so lead in innovation on the continent of Africa. This, as has been rightly suggested could eliminate corruption.
Bravo Nigeria, it's a good day for you, this act will prove to be efficient and effective as you move the country forward. Transparency builds the people's trust and they will support their leader if they can trust him. That makes for a strong country.