El-Rufai, NAN correspondent, others bag OGP reformers award in Kaduna

The former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and Mr Philip Yatai, a Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), have bagged the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Civil Society Co-chair’s State Action Plan (SAP) II reformers awards.

The OGP is a body of international reformers initiated to uphold the characteristics of good governance that has expanded and deepened stakeholders’ engagement in about 96 national and local governments.

It created the needed cordial environment for civil society organizations (representing the citizens) and the government to view each other as equal partners in progress. This is exemplified in the co-creation process adopted in the development of the National Development Plan (NAP) or State Action Plan (SAP) in the case of sub-nationals.

Our correspondent reports that the awards, presented at a valedictory session, was to bid farewell to the outgoing members of the OGP SAP II Steering Committee.

The outgone Steering Committee Citizens Co-chair, Mrs Hadiza Umar, said the awards were to recognise the committee members’ significant contributions to OGP.

She added that the awards were designed to acknowledge the reformers who made outstanding efforts to promote open government principles during their tenure.

Umar noted that they were able to make some reforms in the five commitment areas of the OGP during their tenure which lasted two years through working with the government and CSOs.

She mentioned some of their achievements to include the institutionalisation of the Community Development Chatter which gives rural citizens opportunity to contribute to budget processes in the state.

Umar also noted that their tenure sparked the struggle for the signing of the social protection bill.

“During out tenure, Kaduna was on the global map; we were celebrated in Morocco, we shared our story which OGP translated in Spanish and French.

“The opportunity was open to all the countries, but only Kaduna took to that challenge and it was launched globally with all OGP partners,” she added.

She further said that their tenure made success through creating seamless relationship between the Government and CSOs.

“What has never been done was giving the CSOs space in government’s transition committee.

“We were given express assignment to submit actionable recommendation to the Governor himself to ensure that tangible requests by Kaduna citizens are taken forward by the incumbent administration,” Umar said.

Speaking at the valedictory session, Mr. Philip Yatai of NAN, one of the awardees, said he had in the cause of his eight-year stay in Kaduna, participated actively in governance process which enabled him practice journalism better.

He was the Citizen’s Co-Chair, OGP Technical Working Group on Strengthening Social Protection Systems in Kaduna State.

He noted beyond reporting what the Government was doing, it was crucial to learn the acts of Governance, understand their weaknesses and find a way of contributing through the media perspective.

Yatai added that over the years, they were able to make certain commitments and working with the Government to strengthen systems that delivers social protection programmes.

He said they looked into sustainability of social protection as a tool to addressing multidimensional poverty that affects significant population of the State.

He thanked the outgone Steering Committee Citizens Co-chair for the awards, while pledging to work harder in his areas of endeavour.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Planning and Budget Commission, Mr. Bashir Muhammand, said that civil societies were the bedrock of development of any society.

Muhammand, who was also an awardee, explained that the government only takes ownership of its programmes, policies or projects through collaboration with the CSOs.

Describing the relationship between the state and the steering committee as cordial, he noted that the successes recorded came as a result of the state development imperatives of synergy and collaboration.

Muhammand thanked the committee for contributing to the successes achieved in the state, while urging the incoming Committee to sustain and do more to take ownership of engagements in the state.

NAN reports that some of the awardees from the Planning and Budget Commission included Hajiya Umma Aboki, Former Commissioner of the Commission, Badamasi Musa, Director Planning and Mr Tara Jeremiah, OGP Point of Contact.

Others were Dr Said Tafida, OGP Civil Society Advisor, Mustapha Jumare, and immediate past OGP Citizens Co-chair, among others.