The Plateau State Government today unveiled the Open Government Partnership Plan (OGP) to promote transparency, inclusiveness and citizen’s participation in good governance in the state.
Plateau joined the Open Government Partnership, an organization that has over 78 countries of the world and a growing number of sub-national governments, representing more than two billion people with thousands of civil society organizations as members to promote transparency in running government activities.
Governor Simon along expressed delight while presenting the Open Government Partnership Plateau State Action Plan 2021-2023 today at the Government House little Rayfield.
He described it as a demonstration of the commitment of the government and people of Plateau State to transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in the administration’s approach to governance.
Lalong said that when the idea of the OGP was muted sometime in May 2020, He did not hesitate to approve and push for Plateau State to apply for the membership of this noble platform. More so, knowing that our leader, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari has earlier enrolled Nigeria into this partnership at the national level since 2016.
He stated that Plateau’s commitments in this first Action Plan will include:
● Improving Transparency in Procurement Processes
● Establishing Citizens Dialogue Mechanisms for Improved Accountability and Transparency
● Increasing Transparency and Accountability in the Extractive Sector
● Improving Gender Equality through the Establishment of a Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission
● Establishing an Independent Peace and Security Fund
● Improving Participatory Budgeting (which is an Annex Commitment that OGP has allowed our State to carry out along with the other five mandatory commitments)
He went on to call on all citizenry to ensure their implementation to the very end as Government will work through the various focal Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, and the vibrant forum of CSOs in the State to ensure this happens and further called on all state partners within and outside of the country to support the drive to implement these commitments in order to improve the lives of plateau people.
The Open Government Partnership is an international benchmark organization whose purpose is to assess and develop mechanisms to make governments “more transparent, responsible and accountable to the citizens”
Countries sign up to OGP by means of creating an action plan, which is implemented in conjunction with civil society. Those action plans reflect the political will demonstrated when countries join OGP into concrete actions. Each action plan contains specific commitments to enhance transparency, accountability and public participation in government.
The commitments are subject to an independent assessment process. OGP encourages reformers to use innovative practices in their public policies and new technologies to transform the culture of government and to serve its citizens better.
