By Haruna Gimba
Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has signed an Executive Order on Open Government Partnership (OGP), in an effort to also improve and amplify citizens’ participation and access to public information.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, said the governor signed the executive order in his resolve to fight corruption to standstill, improve transparency and accountability in governance.
The Order document reveals that, “Kano State has joined the Open Government Partnership to deepen Institutional Reforms, fight corruption, grant citizens’ right of access to public records and information and to enable citizens to effectively participate in governance.”
Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
During the process of Action Plan Validation, the representative of governor Ganduje, the state Head of Service, Muhammad Auwal Na’Iya, assured government total support in genuine and effective implementation of the Action Plan, which fruited into governor’s signing of an Executive Order.
The statement added that with a strong anti-corruption institutions in Kano, the Executive Order will help in strengthening optimal performance within the enclave of global best practices in the areas of fiscal discipline and transparency, fight against corruption, access to information by citizens and citizens’ engagement in governance.
“Investigation reveals that, Ganduje’s signing of the Executive Order is the first of its kind, not only in Nigeria, but across all West African nations. Nigeria, for example is perfecting plan to sign OGP’s Executive Order.
“No state in Nigeria nears Kano in this respect. Kano becomes, fundamentally an ocean away from other 35 states of the federation including Abuja, in this onerous effort and commitment,” the statement added.
Part of the principles of OGP as being outlined and agreed upon by the participating countries since the original birth of the idea, includes, but not limited to an acknowledgement that people across the globe are demanding for more openness in running their affairs, a need for greater participation in governance, so as to make their governments more transparent, effective, responsive and accountable.
While also recognising that, different countries of the world are at different levels in the promotion of openness in governance, at the same time acknowledging priorities that are national and beneficial to citizens.
The signed Order assures that, “Kano state shall fully implement the Open Government Patnership (OGP) principles in its reform agenda. Every Ministry, Department or Agency (MDAs).
The confidence reposed in the chairman of the state anti-graft body, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, makes it possible for the signed Order to acknowledges that, “The Chairman of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission shall have the overall responsibility of ensuring effective administration and implementation of Kano State’s Open Government and Access to Information regime in all public institutions in the state in collaboration with office of the Head of Service as well as ministry of justice.”
It is plainly clear that countries where OGP rates high, embrace principles of transparency and open government with a view to achieving greater prosperity, well-being, and human dignity in their countries and in an increasingly interconnected world communities.
As corruption continued to retard development globally, this giant stride of OGP was officially launched on September 20th, 2011, on the larger interest of world nations under the umbrella of the United Nations General Assembly.
During the birth of the programme, OGP, there were eight founding governments from parts of the world. Those were Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America, that endorsed the Open Government Partnership
Declaration.
