An NGO, Socio Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC), has called on Government at all levels to embrace the spirit of accountability and transparency in budgeting process.

The SERDEC National Coordinator for the launch of the North Central States Budget Transparency Survey Report 2020, Mr Tijani Abdulkareem, made the call during the stakeholders forum held on Saturday in Lokoja.

According to him, the stakeholders forum is usually put in place every two years by SERDEC to evaluate states’ survey on accountability and transparency in budgeting process.

He said the target was aimed at bringing stakeholders together to see workable avenues in building accountability and transparency in budgeting.

Abdulkareem said that more need to be done by government at all levels in ensuring involvement of public participation in the budgeting process.

“Openness, enlightenment and engagement of citizens in budgeting process is highly desirable and will serve as an effective feedback mechanism” Abdulkareem said.

Speaking at the forum, the Kogi State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Asiwaju Idris, urged NGOs to surport the state government in its development efforts through effective contributions to the budgeting process.

The commissioner assured that the state government would continue to partner relevant NGOs and Donor Agencies for accelerated development of the state.

Idris disclosed that the Ten years Development Plan of the present administration in the state would give priority to education, health, agriculture and job creation sectors as well as youth and women empowerment.

He expressed delight that the present administration since inception, had judiciously utilised all the monies that had accrued to the government for the benefit of humanity. (NAN)

The Socio Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC) has decried what it called, the widespread violence and intimidation that characterised the Nov.16 governorship and national assembly elections in Kogi.

A statement by the Executive Director of SERDEC, Mr Tijani Abdulkareem on Tuesday in Lokoja, said in spite of the process being truncated and disrupted by violence, the people still came out en masse to cast their vote.

According to Abdulkarim, “the just concluded election from available reports from our observers, was marred with serious reported issues that would undermine the integrity of democracy if not critically looked into and resolved”.

He, however, commended the Kogi electorate for their determination and resilience by coming out in their numbers to exercise their franchise during the elections.

He alleged that the elections across polling units in the state witnessed voters’ inducement and vote buying and non use of smart card readers for accreditation in some polling units.

The executive director also said that there were intimidation and harassment of voters, observers and journalists; disruption of voting process and late arrival of election materials in some polling units.

The centre, therefore, called on the police and other security agencies deployed for election duty to explain to the public, the cases of electoral violence that occurred at their duty posts.

He stressed that security men were reported to be helpless as a result of the astronomic height of violence, thuggery, and vote buying which had marred the integrity of the election.

”In an election where the electoral process was interrupted, it is expected that the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) would follow its guiding principles by cancelling and ordering a rerun for the places where ballot boxes were snatched, so as to avail voters the right to vote,” he said.

(NAN)