Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The President of Lawyers Alert (LA) and Chairman Steering Committee for the implementation of Open Government Partnership (OGP) in Benue State, Rommy Mom Esq, has charged members of the committee on top level commitment and dedication in pushing for the actualization of the project.
Mom, who gave the charge at the inauguration of the committee, shortly after a follow up meeting on OGP for citizens’ groups in Makurdi, the Benue State capital noted that the committee’s responsibility is enormous.
According to the Lawyer Alert President, getting the government to sign up to the project, which seeks to promote fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, access to information and citizens involvement in planning, budgeting and implementation is by no means an easy task.
He therefore, called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to take the centre stage in pushing for government of Benue State to sign up to the partnership.
“OGP comes with heavy donor support,” Mom noted adding that “it is ‘big business for government. it is important that OGP is citizens driven. The responsibility is on citizens to hold government accountable,” Mom stated.
Earlier at the follow up meeting, Programme Officer of Lawyers Alert, Lazarus Mom, informed that OGP is a multilateral initiative that seeks to make government open, participatory and transparent.
He also called for action from CSOs to mobilise and push for the actualisation of the project in Benue State especially as according to him, 11 state governments in Nigeria have already signed up to the project, with Kaduna State being the first.
The steering committee for the sign up on project in Benue State has Rommy Mom Esq as Chairman, Rosemary Hua- Vice Chair, Dr. Victoria Daaor- Secretary, Emmanuel Enenche- Secretary and Rachael Ityonzughur as member. Other members of the committee include Joy Ijowu, Oche Anthony Onazi and Denen Achussah.