Buni Vows to Lead Yobe As Most Transparent And Accountable State In Nigeria

Governor of Yobe state, Mala Buni, has promised to ensure that his administration keeps leading in terms of due process, transparency and accountability in all government transactions in Nigeria.

Mr Buni said this while reacting to the Overall Top Performer Award on State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) award won by the state.

SFTAS is a World Bank programme that focuses on strengthening the fiscal sustainability, transparency and accountability of Nigerian states.

The award was last week presented by the Minister of Finance.

Governor Buni said the award would bolster his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability in governance.

“We are a state with low revenue and in dire need of infrastructure and services, we have to use our resources judiciously and transparently to achieve our set targets to improve the lives of our people,” the award-winning governor said.

Governor Buni said efforts put in to win the award are shared, hence he commended the civil servants for believing and sharing his vision and mission for the state.

‘I want to especially appreciate our civil servants who are the implementers of government policies and programmes, and for being on the same page with the government to achieve this great feat,” he said.

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A statement issued by the Director General of Media and Press Affairs, Mamman Mohammed explained that “Yobe state was presented with the Top Performer overall best state among the 36 states of the federation at a dinner organized for the 36 state governors last week.”

The DG said, “The state’s performance in  All Disbursement Linked Indicators scored the overall best state for the ‘TOP Performer Award.”

The statement also indicated that “Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, who spoke on behalf of the Federal Government applauded the state governments for their performance in the ongoing SFTAS programme and producing positive results.”

She said the federal government was  delighted that “the $1.5 billion SFTAS programme supported by the World Bank has promoted the institutionalization of fiscal reforms in the states.”

She said the federal government celebrates the success of the SFTAS Programme and the presentation of the awards to best performing States in the successive Annual Performance Assessments was to spur the states to do more.

The statement noted that other Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) of the State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability programme include: citizen-based budgets, timely preparation and publication of annual budgets, audited financial statements, as well as, adoption of the National Chart of Account.

Director-General of Yobe state Bureau for Public Procurement, Samaila Mai Adamu, has attributed the overall best rating of Yobe state to the leadership role of Governor Mai Mala the Buni on the issues of the fue Process.

“Governor Buni always insists that every project executed by the state government must be checked by the Bureau to undergo the due process for transparency and accountability,” the DG disclosed.

“I  am glad that the Bureau has been performing its functions and responsibilities without hindrance or interference from the executive,” he said.

Mr Adamu said SFTAS was not the first to award Yobe as the best state in the Due Process, Accountability and Transparency award; the state has also received a similar medal from the Association of Public Procurement Practitioners of Nigeria (APPPN).

“This SFTAS award is a confirmation of the APPPN award that Yobe state has now assumed a new leading status on accountability and transparency,” Mr Adamu said.