Stakeholders at a round table discussion on good governance in Kano have called on the State Open Government Partnership (OGP) to conduct bi-annual town hall meetings with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to assess the implementation of his campaign commitments.
This is one of the resolutions that were mutually agreed upon in a communique jointly signed by Aminu Imam Wali, Kano OGP (State Actor), Service Delivery Thematic Lead, Akibu Hamisu, Kano OGP (Non-State Actor), Fiscal Transparency Thematic Lead and Isiyaku Ahmed, Editor-in-Chief, Stallion Times.
The governance round table which was organised by Stallion Times at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kano Council Conference Hall on Thursday is one of many activities of the three-year participatory governance and media literacy project, tagged “Get Involved, Dialogue, and Improve (G-DRIP),” aimed at encouraging effective citizen participation in governance to enhance service delivery.
G-DRIP is supported by the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism under the Collaborative Media Project and funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
According to the communique, the state government should expedite the signing of the OGP State Action Plan (SAP) II, and prioritize public consultations on key policy decisions and legislative matters to ensure inclusive governance.
It also recommended that; “Citizens should engage the government through evidence-based advocacy to ensure their voices are heard and considered in decision-making processes.
“The SERVICOM directorate and the OGP should push for the passage of the SERVICOM law to formalize and strengthen service delivery standards.
“SERVICOM Sensitization: SERVICOM should sensitize citizens about its services and responsibilities to facilitate effective service delivery across the state.”
The roundtable which emphasized the importance of collaboration between state and non-state actors to foster good governance and improve the quality of life for citizens in Kano State had Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), Women Groups, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Trade Associations, the Governance Research Institute, leadership of Kano State Open Government Partnership (OGP), State and Non-Actors, and the Media.
