THE Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, Comrade Idris Miliki has said that Kogi State government lacks accountability, having failed to conduct local government council election in the last four years.
He stated this on Tuesday at the 6th Quarterly Review meeting organised for Media and CSO on Anti Corruption, Transparency and Accountability, by CHRCR in partnership with Shehu Musa Yar’adua foundation held at the NUJ press center Lokoja.
Comr. Miliki described as unacceptable for Government House Administration to gulp about 48% of the 2020 estimated budget when in real sense it is not a revenue-generating organization, about the people, but few individuals urged the media and the civil society organizations to help in tracking accountability, anti-corruption and transparency in the state.
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Comr. Miliki urged the media and CSOs to be courageous in carrying out in-depth analysis and to help in instilling accountability and good governance, wondered why the state government has failed to constitute the state independent electoral commission for the conduct of local government election.
Comr. Miliki pointed out that in spite the several billion of naira accrued to both the state and local government decried the issues of accountability and openness in the budgeting process, called for a holistic inclusion and participation of citizens on issues of accountability, anti-corruption and transparency.
The Executive Director described the 2020 Kogi budget as a photocopy of 2019 budget, lamented that for an incoming administration expected to succeed itself in a few days time, said the budget did not make provision for new items rather a replica of the previous year.
Comr. Miliki urged the Kogi State House of Assembly to be responsible to the people and not to the Executive arm of government, frowned at the rubber stamp nature of the present lawmakers, who could not add or subtract from the budget presented to them in 2020.
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