By Emmanuel Acha
Enugu, Oct. 21, 2020 Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State says transparency and accountability remain the thrust of his administration.
Ugwuanyi said this on Wednesday in Enugu during a sensitisation programme organised for local government officials in the state.
The programme was organised by Global Society for Anti-Corruption (GSAC) in conjunction with the state government.
Ugwuanyi, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Chief Uwakwe Azikiwe, said that transparency and accountability breed trust between the leaders and the led.
“This programme is fully supported by the state government because it will help us to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
“It will also provide a platform to eradicate all forms of corruption and to continuously strengthen integrity, transparency and accountability,” Ugwuanyi said.
Also, the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Enugu State, Mr Solomon Onah, said that the association would address issues of transparency in the third tier of government.
Onah said that the public officers in the local government system would be educated for efficient service delivery, adding that there would be a great change in the system.
Earlier, the Programme Director, GSAC, Mrs Amaka Nweke, said that officials of the third tier of government needed to show utmost transparency in the discharge of their duties.
Nweke said that the organisation wanted to see a corrupt free society based on integrity, transparency and accountability.
She said that such would provide a platform to eradicate all forms of corruption and continuously strengthen integrity and help promote the good image of Nigeria.
“Experience has shown that our democracy has not taken firm roots because transparency and accountability have been reduced to the lowest ebb.
“Our rural areas are denied infrastructure and other social amenities because there is a lack of accountability and transparency in the management of resources that accrue to them.
“Lack of transparency and accountability breeds discord, insecurity, marginalisation and loss of confidence in government by the people among other ills.
“If we pay due attention to the matter of transparency and accountability we will avert this embarrassing situation,” she said.
Nweke charged those in authority to help give Nigeria’s democracy a meaning by correcting flaws inherent in governance.
