Umuahia — In a bid to enhance the quality of governance in Abia State, a civil society organisation, the African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support(CHARS-Africa) has teamed up with the media to campaign for transparency and accountability.
The partnership and campaign were birthed yesterday in Umuahia at a media round table themed: "Support to civil society advocacy towards strengthening key legislative frameworks for increased accountability and good governance in Abia State".
The stakeholders reviewed the status of the extant legal frameworks that promote good governance and their application in Abia government business. These include the Public Procurement Act 2007, Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and Freedom of Information Act 2011.
Though the Public Procurement Act 2007 was domesticated in Abia since 2012, it has largely been ignored by past governments and even the present administration is not fully implementing the provisions.
Worse still, Abia has not deemed it necessary to domesticate the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
But the stakeholders in the campaign for good governance resolved to intensify efforts and apply every available legal instruments to hold state actors accountable to the masses.
The Executive Director, CHARS-Africa, Mrs. Amaka Biachi, said that the programme is supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC), in collaboration with the European Union.
According to her, by bringing together key stakeholders in Abia media space "to exchange ideas, knowledge, explore opportunities and make recommendations on the way forward for good governance in the state.
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By so doing, she stated, the stakeholders would "establish innovative strategies that will enhance accountability in Abia State governance."
Biachi decried the prevailing situation where Abia government project contracts were devoid of local contents and virtually awarded in the dark in violation of Part VI, Section 25(2)(ii) of the Public Procurement Act 2007. This provisiion stipulates, among others, that "the invitation for bids shall be advertised in at least two national newspapers."
She noted with concern the unwillingness of state actors to comply with the provisions of the various legal frameworks put in place to promote accountability and good governance.
However, the CHARS-Africa ED called for the assistance of the media in helping to hold the state actors accountable to, adding that with effective synergy between the media and the CSOs state actors would not escape public scrutiny.
In his presentation, the Project Director, ROLAC, Mr Peter Chuka Okoye, commended the media and the CSOs in the state for their efforts in promoting good governance and accountability.
He regretted that there was always the tendency to lay much blame on the state actors for not doing enough to promote good governance whereas "we, the people" remain indifferent instead of playing their own part.
He promised that he would partner with the duo of CHARS-Africa and Abia media people to achieve good results in the campaign for good governance in God's Own State.
