Akpabio Calls For Transparency and Accountability In Order to Eliminate Unnecessary Expenditure in Governance
- Antonia Ally
- May 13, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: May 19, 2024
The President of the Nigerian Senate, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has called for transparency and accountability, in order to eliminate unnecessary expenditure and streamline our bureaucracy as a nation.
Speaking at the “Policy Dialogue on Cost of Governance in Nigeria”summit, organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Akpabio called for active participation in the discussions ahead, sharing of insight and expertise, and to contribute to the solutions that will shape the future of our great country, adding that the 10th National Assembly is ready to partner and do everything within her constitutional powers to make Nigeria a better place for everyone.
Represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, the Senate President noted that, “no challenge is insurmountable when we stand united”. He enjoined stakeholders to embrace the nation’s diversity and harness the strength in brings.
“We are all aware of the financial burdens faced by our government. The size of our bureaucracy, the escalating public service wage bills, the overhead costs of appointive public officials, and the running of government institutions-these are some of the substantial components that, the experts say, contribute to weighing down our economy and hindering our development efforts”.
“To each one of you present here today, I implore you to not only be a part of this dialogue but to become agents of change, committed to making sacrifices for the nation”, Akpabio added.
The summit serves as a platform to thoroughly reassess the governance paradigm, encompassing a comprehensive review of various approaches, such as exploring the feasibility of transitioning from the current presidential system to a parliamentary system.
Some notable dignitaries present at the event include; the Speaker of the House of the House of Representatives, ably represented by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aliyu Madaki, the Director General, NILDS, Prof. Abubakar O. Suleiman, the founder and Executive Director of Centre for Value in Leadership (CVL), Professor Pat Utomi amongst others.