Tag Archives: Transparency

Majority Of Nigerians Support Greater Transparency In Government, #OpenNASS Survey Finds

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#OpenNASS, an advocacy campaign organized by Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE) and VOTO Mobile with support from the Omidyar Network, conducted a survey finding, among other things, that an overwhelming majority of Nigerians support greater government transparency. The group therefore called upon the National Assembly to take measures that would make the budget and other aspects of government more accessible to Nigerians.

Read the press release below:

 

76% of Nigerians Actively Support Open Government Policies and #OpenNASS is a Panacea for Transparency and Accountability

‘There is not a crime, there is not a dodge, there is not a trick, there is not a swindle, and there is not a vice which does not live by secrecy.’ –  Joseph Pulitzer

The OpenNASS Project is an advocacy campaign aimed at tackling the major disconnect between the elected representatives and the general voting population outside of the electoral process by providing both voter education and a communication platform to help voters reach their representative and demand the ‘dividends of democracy’ – education, health care, shelter, water, power, access to employment or finance for enterprise etc.

We conducted a scoping survey randomly selecting telephone numbers and collecting 1,200 responses to 39 questions between June 29 and July 4, 2016. The sample was recalibrated to get a 48-52 gender split, and proportional representation by geo-political zone. The survey was run in five languages – Yoruba, Pidgin, Igbo, Hausa and English – to ensure it was inclusive. Each respondent was asked 27 multiple choice questions relating to the governance and democratic processes in Nigeria to understand the level of civic education, and if there was a link between this and a willingness to support the OpenNASS campaign. The results were fascinating.

Levels of Civic Education

  • On average, 59% of respondents got the answers right, although it varied greatly for each question ranging from 29% to 89%.
  • There was a small gender gap with the average man getting 61% of the answers right, and 56% for the average woman.
  • Unsurprisingly, the biggest difference was in knowledge based on education level. Respondents with no formal education got 43% of answers right; followed by those with a basic education at 45%; junior or secondary education at 54%; and those with a tertiary education getting 66%.
  • Respondents scored the highest on questions relating to elections which would indicate that efforts to educate voters in the recent elections were successful.
  • Respondents did barely better than random when it came to questions relating to how the upper and lower chambers relate to each other and drafting and passing laws.
  • There is a huge opportunity to better educate Nigerians to empower them to push for change.

Political Engagement

  • Nigerians are very politically engaged with only 4% of respondents on average reporting that they do not care about political news. There is higher political apathy amongst those with no education, with 23% stating they do not care about political news, versus 3% of more educated respondents.
  • There is a huge opportunity here to educate those with little to no education on the importance of good governance to build momentum for change.
  • Political apathy is highest with 10%, among respondents who fall below 17 years and lowest, 0%, among persons 56 years and above.

Open Government Policies

  • 74% of Nigerians support electronic voting.
  • 71%% of Nigerians support opening National Assembly attendance records.
  • The same pattern of responses was recorded for the other open government policies which include voting records, salaries and budgets of the National Assembly.
  • There is clear correlation with educational attainment and open government policies as 81% of those with tertiary education stated that attendance records should be open, with only 32% of those with no formal education requesting the same. This again, presents a huge opportunity to educate and build support.

Sources of Political News

  • Radio is the most popular source of political news with 33% citing this as their preferred source.
  • Internet follows with 29%; TV with 17%; and newspapers with 11%.
  • Radio was the most popular among females followed by the internet and the reverse is true for males where internet is the most popular source followed by radio. This could perhaps be explained by the lower rates of literacy amongst women.
  • Television remains the third most popular source of political information with both genders and across all political zones.
  • Radio emerges as the most popular source with people of most educational backgrounds except people who have attained tertiary education whereupon internet overtakes radio as the most common source and followed by radio.
  • Radio is, perhaps unsurprisingly, preferred by respondents who don’t have a formal education at 42%; those that have a basic primary education at 60%; and those that have a secondary education at 40%.

Radio is therefore a crucial way of reaching people and EiE has gone from one radio program in 2014 to four in 2016 and by Q1 2017, we will have 9 radio programs in Lagos (2), Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Owerri, Kano & Enugu.

What Next?

It is clear that despite low levels of civic knowledge there is already huge support for EiE’s #OpenNASS campaign, especially with regards to making the breakdown of the 2016 National Assembly budget public after several promises and assurances to do so by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Lack of accountability in the National Assembly is very dangerous for our democracy because those who are elected to provide oversight over the executive arm’s implementation of our budget cannot be expected to provide leadership and ensure accountability when they have refused to be accountable with resources allocated to them.

Over the last 3 years, the National Assembly has refused to respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and a court order to provide its detailed budget. The National Assembly was recently taken to court by SERAP for failing to respond to an FOI request about its running costs.

It is of great concern to Nigerians that members of the National Assembly do not know the content of their own budget, yet they hold court over how the budget of the country is spent. Public auditing of spending by the National Assembly and several reports on allegations of corruption that have been investigated remain shrouded in secrecy. This does nothing for an institution that seeks to be ‘responsive, accessible, representative and accountable’.

The budgets of the National Assembly, the National Judicial Commission (NJC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), amongst others, are a first line charge. As such, it is not necessary for these institutions to provide a detailed breakdown of their budget as part of the annual budgeting process. This is a great disservice to Nigerians as it does nothing for transparency and accountability.

For example, between 2006 and 2016, approximately N1.3 trillion has be allocated to the National Assembly (~ $4.2 billion) and there are no records of how most of this monies were spent.

#OpenNASS has been a very active conversation on social media and we’ve expanded the conversation through newspaper infographs and radio programs.

We will be increasing our engagement using mobile technology and additional media platforms to enable Nigerians to get engaged, informed and most importantly, take action. A toll-free line is now available for citizens to sign the petition on the National Assembly budget breakdown and get other information on governance issues.

The ‘flash’ service toll free lines to call are 08139861001 and 08139861002. ‘Flash’ service meaning upon dialing, the call drops up and calls you back immediately. The hotline is in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Hausa and Yoruba.

Through the hotline and our engagements on social and traditional media, we will promote three advocacy goals:

  1. The National Assembly should publish the breakdown of its 2016 and 2017  budgets;
  2. Maintain a functional website, provide contact information of its members, activate the switchboard in the National Assembly complex so citizens can engage their representatives and make attendance records public;
  3. Replace voice voting with electronic voting and making voting records public.

The National Assembly is a critical institution in our democracy and we will ensure that it is repurposed to serve all Nigerians, not just a few. They are currently on recess until January and we encourage citizens to engage them at home and demand for accountability so they can start the new year delivering on their promise.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

– End –

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The OpenNASS project is collaboration between Enough is Enough Nigeria and VOTO Mobile supported by the Omidyar Network. The project builds on the work and networks of partners across Nigeria – Budgit, CITAD, CONGOs (Edo), CSNAC, Dawn in the Creeks, Development Dynamics, Reclaim Naija (CLP), SERAP, Premium Times, Sahara Reporters & YNaija.

Enough is Enough Nigeria (www.eie.ng) is a coalition of individuals and organizations committed to instituting a culture of good governance and public accountability in Nigeria through active citizenship. EiE Nigeria was an integral part of the #OccupyNigeria movement in 2012 and it’s currently very active in the #OpenNASS campaign. The coalition includes The Future Project; Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN); Education as a Vaccine (EVA); Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND); and LYNX Nigeria. Partners include BudgIT & ReclaimNaija.

Voto Mobile (www.votomobile.org) is a Ghana-based tech startup and social enterprise that makes it easy for businesses, governments, and NGOs to share information and gather feedback through interactive SMS or voice calls in local languages – using mobile to instantly reach across distance, language, and literacy barriers. Voto’s mission is to increase participation and accountability in the services delivered to citizens, and to empower communities to collect and share information to drive positive social change.

Budget Padding: “Audit Constituency Projects Allocations” – Pro-Democracy Group

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A pro-democracy body, the Civil Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has called for an independent audit of all previous constituency project allocations to members of the National Assembly (NASS) to determine to make sure spending practices are held accountable to the Nigerian people. The statement was made in a press released signed by Auwal Musa Ibrahim, CISLAC’s Executive Director.

 

According to the statement, the recent revelations by the former Chairman of the Appropriations Committee for the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, amounts to a further proof of the waste that has characterized the federal legislature over the years.

 

“We note that such practices have been going on for a long time as the NASS has been known, in the past to, in addition to padding the budget at the point of defence, make dubious allocations for constituency projects as well as have demanded and received inducement for sectoral allocations,” CISLAC said.

 

CISLAC added that federal legislators are known to have received or demanded gratifications in exchange for ministerial confirmation and extorted money from Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under the guise of oversight functions, stating that the current scandal endangers the integrity of the National Assembly.

 

“The reference to occupants as Honourable and Distinguished is gradually becoming a mere appellation that is stripped of the attendant respect,” CISLAC noted.

 

It expressed disappointment at the revelations and allegations made by Mr. Jibrin, describing them as an afterthought and provoked by the fact that he has lost out from benefiting from the process.

 

CISLAC noted that Mr. Jibrin strongly defended the House when the allegations of budget padding were first made. This, they added, places a big question mark on his credibility and loyalty to the Nigerian people.

 

The pro-democracy body said it finds the culture of constituency projects needless, arguing that it is at variance with the principle of separation of powers. CISLAC further argued that the practice of constituency projects is a channel for legislative corruption and distraction, which are avoidable by simply strengthening relevant institutions and systems for project implementation and service delivery.

 

CISLAC also requested the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to undertake further inquest into the allegations, with a view to getting to the root of the matter and punish culprits where necessary. It expressed doubts that the National Assembly can find the moral courage to investigate itself and sanction erring members.

 

To forestall a repeat of such financial scandals in the federal legislature, CISLAC recommended the introduction of a framework for constituency accountability for public participation and cooperation with the executive arm to establish a participatory budgetary process based on actual needs assessment and citizens’ input.

 

“We call on political parties to reorganize and commence a process for leadership recruitment and internal party democracy that will facilitate the emergence of persons with integrity, patriotism and a mind-set of service, who will be adequately prepared to occupy leadership positions and lead Nigeria to meet the aspirations of her people and occupy her place among the comity of nations,” the body said.

 

The body recalled that despite repeated promises and commitments by Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is the Chairman of the National Assembly, to disclose the details of the budget of the legislature, Nigerians are yet to have access to this information.

 

“We find it ironic that elected representatives are unwilling to make information on how funds appropriated from tax payers’ money are allocated and spent, are made available to the citizens who elected them into office.

 

“We note that these events are a product of failed recruitment process and flawed party processes that have resulted in the emergence of leaders who are unprepared to undertake the challenging art of governance in a diverse environment,” it submitted.

 

CISLAC lamented that fraudulent occurrences in the budget processes have been made possible by the country’s abandonment of the practice of developing viable plans to underpin the budget process and the zero-budget approach. It also blamed the situation on the ineffectiveness of the Medium Term Economic Framework (MTEF) process envisaged under the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007. This, it noted, has created avenues for corrupt practices.

 

“We call on the National Assembly to take advantage of this latest revelation to undertake self-introspection and urgently rise up to cleanse itself and make efforts to redeem its image and reputation which is presently in its lowest ebb.

 

“We also call on them to revisit the issue of having members adhere to the Code of Conduct for members as a means of self-regulation of behaviour within their ranks,” CISLAC concluded.

World Bank Backs Nigeria’s Transparency Project

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The World Bank has pledged additional support towards the President’s fight to entrench accountability and transparency across the country.

The Country Director for Nigeria and Coordinating Director for West Africa Regional Integration Programme, Mr Rachid Benmessaoud, spoke to journalists during a visit to the Minister of Science and Technology in Abuja.

“At the World Bank, we think the good government of Nigeria is taking the right step in dealing with governance issues.

“Our role is to support the government of Nigeria in its efforts at improving transparency and accountability or in the development programmes that we do. It starts with accountability and transparency,” he said, adding that conversation on areas to revamp in the country is ongoing with various ministries.

Mr Rachid noted that it would be aspiring to lend huge support in other sectors like agriculture, security, solid minerals as well as science and technology to assist in repositioning Nigeria as a global economic hub of Africa.

“We have heard from a number of cabinet ministers about the importance of diversifying the revenues away from the oil sector and we have been working with both the Ministry of Agriculture and (that of) Solid Minerals in this particular area.

“We have also looked into further support in the power sector. As you know, the power sector is a binding constraint to growth. Science and Technology plays an important role in all of our support because it looks at the aspect of efficiency and innovations.”

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, commended the move, urging civil servants to work judiciously with the nation’s available resources.

Credit: ChannelsTv

Saraki Assures Of Transparency, Accountability As Senate Marks 100 Days

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President of the Senate Bukola Saraki, has assured Nigerians that he would ensure accountability and transparency as 8th Senate marks 100 days.

Saraki gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja when the management of DAAR Communications paid him a courtesy visit. He also assured that the 8th senate under his leadership would help in tackling the problem of insecurity in the North-East.

“As the senate resumes plenary soon, bills will be churned out to address the issues of power, revenue leakages, corruption, unemployment amongst others,’’ he said.

Saraki solicited the collaboration of the media to enable the senate deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

The Chairman of DAAR Communication, Mr Raymond Dokpesi (Jnr), who led the delegation, commended the president of the senate for his determination to ensure that the National Assembly delivered on its mandate.

“We thought it is appropriate to congratulate you officially on your election. We know that in spite of distractions, you have a clear leadership thrust which is transparency and accountability,’’ Dokpesi said.

Read More: NAN