From Babatunde Rahman, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has been condemned and described as lacking in accountability for its inability to conduct Local Government Elections in the last four years.
Comrade Idris Miliki, Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) stated this at the 6th Quarterly Review meeting organised for Media and CSO on Anti Corruption, Transparency and Accountability, by CHRCR in partnership with Shehu Musa Yar’adua foundation held in Lokoja.
Comr. Miliki described as unacceptable for Government House Administration to gulp about 48% of the 2020 estimated budget when in real sense it is not a revenue-generating organization, about the people, but few individuals.
He urged the media and the civil society organizations to help in tracking accountability, anti-corruption and transparency in the state.
Miliki equally berated the state for not having a state-owned Television Station for giving inadequate attention to the media industry.
Comr. Miliki pointed out that in spite of the several billions of naira accruing to both the state and local government, the issues of accountability and openness in the budgeting process still leave much to be desired.
The Executive Director described the 2020 Kogi budget as a photocopy of 2019 budget, lamenting that for an incoming administration that is expected to succeed itself in a few days’ time, the budget did not make provision for new items.
Comr. Miliki urged the Kogi State House of Assembly to be responsible to the people and not to the Executive arm of government and frowned at the rubber stamp nature of the present lawmakers, who he said should not add or subtract from the budget presented to them in 2020.
