… Proffers measures to reduce high cost of governance
BY OGONNAYA UMEHAM, ABUJA.
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy has rejected the recommendations made by the Nigerian Governors under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) to the federal government to offer Federal Civil servants above 50 years of age a one-off retirement package to the service.
This was disclosed in a Press Release issued by the Executive Director of CISLAC and Head of Transparency International Chapter in Nigeria, AUWAL Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) recently in Abuja.
He described the proposal as unrealistic, lopsided and a deceitful approach that may amplify existing socio-economic burden, suffering and inequalities among common Nigerians.
Such proposal he explained was tendered in view of reducing over bearing cost of governance that has hitherto rendered Nigeria financially incapacitated to adequately finance the ailing critical sector of the economy.
” We cannot conceal the fact that it mirrors lop-sided, insincerity and lack reading by all levels of government to holistically address the contending issues back pedalling country’s socio-economic development.
He therefore drew the attention of government at all levels to various neglected issues that aggravated high cost of governance and socio-economic inequalities in Nigeria like the systematic mismanagement of nation’s treasury and institutional spending of whopping sums on irrelevant activities that continued unabated at national and sub- national levels.
As part of recommendations to address the issues, he called on the federal government to take appreciable and drastic step to reduce the growing cost of governance in the country through targeted efforts to addressing institutionalise mismanagement, systemic embezzlement, inflated budget, procurement corruption, revenue loopholes, among others, to allow adequate resource allocation to finance critical sector and eradicate poverty at all levels.
He also encouraged all levels of government to give serious consideration to economic diversification to agricultural and industrial sectors through targeted public-private partnership to discourage mono-economy, enhance human capital development and employment creation; as a complementary strategy to reduce over-bloated civil service at all levels.
He therefore called on Governments at all levels to institutionalise sustainable measures to block existing revenue leakages including those deliberately supported for more transparency, accountability and efficient management of resources.
The CISLAC Boss also demands prompt removal of the needless subsidies on petroleum, to enabling adequate financing for the critical sector, job creation, infrastructural development and poverty eradication in Nigeria.
He appealed to governments at all levels to create an enabling environment to boost businesses and attract private sector investments through widen economic integration involving security, removal of tariffs and trade barriers as well as policy and regulation harmonisation in the areas of investment, competition policy, digital trade, quality of infrastructure among others.
He however demands strict compliance to remuneration provisions prescribed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission in all remunerations and entitlements by the governments at all levels to prevent continued diversion of public revenue resources into private pockets.
While calling on State Governments to devise holistic and sustainable measures to curb recurring ghost workers syndrome, which constitutes a major challenge in efficient management of states’ revenue resources and adequate budgetary allocation to the critical sector.
“We demand exhaustive scrutiny of the budget as submitted by various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, to address issues of inflated budget lines, duplications and unnecessary items”
Still on the recommendations he called on the National Assembly to strengthen oversight activities on budgetary implementation as appropriated to prevent or sanction poor implementation, mismanagement and non-existent projects.
Explaining further he also called on all levels of government to uphold high level integrity in their procurement process through transparency, stakeholder participation, accessibility, e-procurement system and appropriate oversight and control with full implementation of the Procurement Laws, to ensure fairness, non-discrimination and compliance in the public procurement process.
In conclusion he called on the Presidency and National Assembly to in spirit of Open Government Partnership, improve fiscal transparency, integrity, transparency and accountability in Defence spending, to block mismanagement and wastage, while enabling adequate budgetary allocation to other sectors .
Support full implementation of The Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022; and Money-Laundering-Prevention-and-Prohibition-Act-2022, to strengthen the anti-corruption fight, sanction treasury looters and ensure that repatriated assets are utilized for the benefits of Nigerians.