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An economic expert, Dr Chinwike Uba, has urged state governors, council chairmen and authorities to stop the trend of contracting council personnel functions to private firms and individuals.
Uba, who is a Development Economic Expert and Founder, Amaka Chinwike Uba Foundation, made the call while delivering a lecture on Wednesday in Enugu.
The lecture, which was titled; “Transparency, Accountability and Quality Service Delivery in the Local Government System’’, was organised by the Global Society for Anti-Corruption (GSAC). .
According to him, it is wrong for some governments to move local government functions into quasi-private sector structures.
“These contractors or new quasi-private sector structures blur the lines of policy direction and accountability.
“It also leads to off-budget agency funding contribute to budget fragmentation and lack of transparency,’’ he said.
The expert, however, said that to improve transparency and accountability in fiscal management at all levels of government especially at the local government area, “it is necessary to ensure full budget control and coverage’’.
“States have been accused of diverting some of the local government resources (monies) into off-budget accounts.
“These accounts typically lack oversight and transparency.
“These off-budget transactions take different forms, from extra budgetary funds to the lack of integration of investment planning,’’ he said.
Uba noted that Enugu State is predominantly rural (over 80 per cent), which makes it imperative to have a sustainable development anchored on good governance and democracy dividends to the vast majority of the people at the localities.
“So, council authorities, thank God Enugu State had been consistent in conducting Local Government Elections, must ensure transparency, accountability, citizens’ engagement and consensus,’’ he added.
Uba, who is also attached to the African Heritage Institution, a economic and political research-based institute, called for participatory budgeting and project implementation taking into account the people’s input.
Earlier, Programme Director of GSAC, Mrs Amaka Nweke, said that it was part of the mandate of the group to deepen the frontiers of development, growth, sustain good governance and other ingredients of democracy with accountability and transparency.
“Accountability and transparency in government renews confidence and strengthens the bound of development between the people and government,’’ Nweke said.
She, however, applauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, ICPC Commissioner in Enugu State, the state assembly and leadership of Amalgamated Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) for their support to the event.
