FRC Urges Govs To Involve Citizens In Decision Making

The executive chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) Victor Muruako has urged all  actors, particularly state governors, to prioritise the democratization of fiscal

decision-making which is crucial for sustainable development and economic prosperity of the country.

Muruako who was represented by the Special Adviser Technical, Chris Uwadoka stated this at a Zonal Summit of Fiscal Responsibility Institutions in North Central Nigeria organised by the Fiscal Responsibility Commission in collaboration with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme, Phase II (ROLAC II) funded by the European Union in Jos the Plateau State capital.

According to him, the significance of the theme “Integrating the Citizen into Fiscal Decision-Making in States and Local Governments: Insights from the Fiscal Responsibility Act,” underscores the importance of strengthening fiscal responsibility and promoting citizens’ participation in public finance management at the sub-national level.

He argued that involving citizens in shaping fiscal policies and holding public officials accountable are natural results of democracy and democratic governance, which Nigeria practices. He added that power belongs to the people and is held in trust for the people.

He further stated that as the ultimate fiscal authority at the federal level, the president, and at the state level, the governor, are elected by the people to represent their interests adding that even appointed officials serve the public.

According to him, while transparency and accountability are essential components of good governance, the public has the right to know how public funds are being allocated, spent, and managed.

Also speaking, the state coordinator of Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption International (IDEA), Dala Pwanakin, said his organisation is looking at government institutions that have a mandate by law. They also understand that it is very important that they engage the citizens to keep them abreast of government activities and examine key actions that have been neglected over the years.

According to him, the issue of transparency and accountability is age long since the beginning of mankind.

He argued that in applying transparency and accountability, there have been challenges, stressing that there have been laws over the years that have not allowed civil servants to release certain information regarding Government activities to members of the public, which has made citizens always be in the dark.

Pwanakin explained that his organization is working to strengthen Government institutions with a view to providing access to criminal justice to vulnerable persons and accountability, transparency which is the hallmark of democracy.

In the same vein, the Plateau State Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Dongkum Grace, who declared the summit opened, commended the organisers, saying there is no better time to integrate citizens into fiscal decision-making in states and local governments than now.

The event was attended by commissioners of finance and related portfolios, permanent secretaries, auditors-general, accountants-general, heads of debt management offices and heads of fiscal responsibility among others.