For improved and better economic growth and development, state governments across Nigeria have been urged to give adequate support to the fiscal policy Reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government. The Fiscal Responsibility Commission, a Federal Government agency with the mandate of promoting fiscal responsibility, accountability and prudent management of the nation’s resources which made the plea said this was the only way to manage the economy in a prudent, transparent and responsible manner. The commission said the states could do better by domesticating some of the reform policies and laws being passed by the federal government like the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2017. Executive Chairman of Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Victor Muruako who made the call on Monday in Port Harcourt at the Financial Accountability Retreat for Sub- Nationals and Civil Societies called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to engage in advocacy for transparency, accountability, and prudent management of resources by the sub-national governments.
In his welcome address at the retreat with the theme; “Strengthening Financial Accountability at Sub-National Levels”, the Executive Chairman insisted that the burden of macroeconomic management cannot be left solely to the Federal Government, noting that “Sub-national governments must play a proactive role in promoting transparency, accountability and credibility. “State governments that have not yet domesticated the Fiscal Responsibility Act are encouraged to take steps to do so. To emphasise the importance of sub-national governments adopting best practices in fiscal responsibility, we need only look at the Revenue Allocation Formula. For every one hundred Naira (N100) that enters the federation account, the formula allocates only about half to the Federal Government, with the remaining half going to sub-national governments.
“This underscores the critical role of sub-national governments in ensuring the success of Nigeria’s macroeconomic management. While we acknowledge the progress made by sub-national governments in recent years, there is still room for improvement. The publication of budgets, budget implementation reports, and audited financial statements is a significant step towards transparency. However, we can and must do more”, he said. Muruako also highlighted the role of civil society organisations in achieving fiscal responsibility, adding that CSOs play a vital role in enhancing financial accountability by asking critical questions and promoting transparency. We urge CSOs to engage in advocacy for transparency, accountability, and prudence in a professional manner.
“Section 51 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act empowers every citizen with the legal capacity to enforce the provisions of the Act through the courts. We encourage citizens to utilise this power to hold governments accountable. However, it is important to exercise this power responsibly and based on evidence.
“We also urge state governments to view CSOs as partners in progress and collaborate with them. By working together, we can achieve greater development for our nation. “Furthermore, state governments that have not yet domesticated the Fiscal Responsibility Act are encouraged to take steps to do so”. In his his paper; “Strengthening Oversight: The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Promoting Fiscal Responsibility at the Sub-National Level”, Hon. Justice Kemakolam Ojiako recommended that to strengthen the role of the CSOs in promoting fiscal responsibility at the sub-national levels. Governments at the sub-national levels should provide adequate funding and resources to CSOs working on fiscal governance issues, the legal framework should be strengthened to protect the independence and activities of CSO, increased collaboration between CSO, government agencies and other stake holders, ensuring adequate and prompt public access to financial information and data and investing in capacity building programmes for CSOs to enhance their technical expertise. Participants at the retreat included public finance management officials at the sub-national level like State Commissioners for Finance, the accountant generals of the states, the auditor-generals, civil society organisations and other key players.
