In light of the alleged misappropriation of public funds in Kogi State, north-central Nigeria, the people of the state need to demand accountability, transparency, and ethical leadership from public officeholders.
Development Diaries reports that receipts recently emerged showing how former governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, allegedly paid U.S.$845,000 to the American International School in Abuja ahead of time for his children’s tuition.
This is coming amidst Bello being declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over ₦80.2 billion money laundering allegation.
This development is unfortunate, especially with the knowledge that Kogi State is among the states that have failed to access basic education intervention funds provided by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
It also suggests that the Kogi State House of Assembly is neglecting its constitutional obligation to oversight the executive arm of government.
Dear Kogites, please be reminded that under sections 120 to 128 of the Nigerian constitution, the state House of Assembly has the power to supervise other arms of government. This is to curtail corruption and inefficiency in state administration and promote transparency.
Members of the Kogi State House of Assembly also have a duty to effectively represent their constituents to ensure that they are not marginalised. They are to advocate for the needs, protect the interests, and become the voice and ears of their constituents in government.
Kogites, there are key demands that you should make from your leaders. For instance, you need to demand a comprehensive reform of the education sector to ensure that all children in Kogi State have access to quality education, investment in public schools, teacher training, and infrastructure development.
This is also a wake-up call for you, Kogites, to participate in the oversight of government spending and activities and strive to hold your government officials accountable for their actions.
You must insist on accountability for any misuse of state funds, and the use of state funds for current projects. A platform like Tracka, which is a project of BudgIT, is invaluable for this purpose, as it enables citizens to track funds channeled into projects and how they are used.
Development Diaries urges the people of Kogi and other Nigerians to demand these measures to send a strong message to public officeholders that corruption and misuse of public funds will not be tolerated and that accountability and transparency are non-negotiable principles of governance.
We also call on the members of the Kogi State House of Assembly to ensure they carry out their oversight function to curtail corruption and inefficiency in state administration and promote transparency.
