The Constituency Influence Assessment (CIA), session has been identified as one of the major catalysts, to promoting accountability and good governance.
The annual assesment examines the level of influence, of constituencies in selected locations in Nigeria ,where partners were supported to engage citizens and government in improving delivery of goods and services.
Speaking shortly after the session, Akibu Hamisu Garko of Kano budget working group, noted that open society group laid emphasis on budgeting, representation and inclusion at the local government level among others.
He stressed that, one of the key reforms in the sector is the passage and assenting to the Kano state public financial management law, audit law and procurement law, which greatly impacted on the state procurement process, where contractors and service providers can be held accountable with legal backing.
On the thematic areas accessed by the health group, Head of Programmes Express Radio Kano, Hajiya Nafisa Murtala Ahmed enumerated that tremendous achievements were recorded in the health sector, including enrollment of PWDs into the basic healthcare provision fund (BCHPF), as well as engagement of civil society organizations, to work with two gateway committees to promote quality healthcare delivery.
She stressed that, state actors work together with citizens where they visit facilities and identify loopholes in services offered by MDAs and agencies, for government to take necessary action.
The education group expressed optimism in ensuring qualitative education, for girls that is well grounded for better human resources.
Co-chair girls education partnership from Adolescent Health and Information Project (AHIP), Hajiya Mero Bello highlighted that the Kano girls education policy and teacher policy would focus attention teachers’ attitude, quality assurance and continued professional development to uplift educational standards.
Radio Nigeria reports that,the main assessment approach involves, partners reflecting on the extent of citizens influence using three categories of indices, namely citizens engagement, citizens representation, and citizens inclusion, guided by a standard tool.
The 2022/2022 CIA session facilitated by PERL(ECP) witnessed large turn out of PWDs, civil society organizations, GEP, media and all relevant stakeholders in Kano.
The Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) is now a seven year (2016-2023) public sector reform
programme helping governments and citizens to work together to improve service delivery, including ending
preventable deaths and funding for basic education through better policymaking, planning, budgeting, project
monitoring and accountability.
KHADIJAH ALIYU
