Osun rises from 25th to first in fiscal transparency

 

.Fixes LG poll for  October 15

 

 

Blessing Akorowosi, Osogbo

 

Osun State has recently been ranked as first among other States in Nigeria in the area of Public Finance/Accountability with transparent nature of governance.

 

It was ranked highest with 88%, a huge improvement on the last rating where the State was ranked 25th with 40% in a Subnational Audit Efficacy Index report.

 

With the theme, ‘Leveraging Accountability for Subnational Development in Nigeria’, the report commended Osun for conducting financial, compliance and performance audit for every financial year.

 

The State was applauded to have given operationalisation of financial autonomy to the Auditor General for State.

 

The report stressed that financial autonomy and operational independence for Supreme Audit Institutions especially at the subnational level are foundational pillars of achieving public accountability.

 

In his reaction, Commissioner for Finance, Bola Oyebamiji said he is not surprised by the report ranking Osun as the most financially transparent State in the Federation.

 

Oyebamiji noted that financial transparency has always been Governor Oyetola’s watchword.

 

He said it is a pact the Governor signed with the people of the State to be prudent and transparent with every fund that belongs to the State at all times.

 

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, (OSSIEC) on Monday announced that the local government area elections in the state will hold on October 15, 2022.

 

The commission promised that it will ensure that the elections are free, fair, transparent and credible.

 

Chairman of OSSIEC, Otunba Segun Oladitan made the declaration during a press conference at the commission’s conference hall in Osogbo on Monday.

 

According to him, all the inhibiting factors and circumstances have been ameliorated, thereby making the coast clear for the commission to conduct local government elections.

 

Oladitan stated that OSSIEC will be conducting a presidential system election this time whereby chairmen of local government councils would be elected directly and the ward councillors would be elected separately.

 

He noted that the conduct of the LG election after the commission’s inauguration in June, 2020 was hampered by a number of encumbrances

such as court litigations, Covid-19 pandemic, End-SARS saga and necessary enabling law.

 

“The State House of Assembly had recently enacted Osun State

Independent Electoral Commission Law 2022 which had been duly assented to by Mr. Governor. All previous laws on Local Government Elections in the State had been repealed.

 

“You would recollect that when this commission conducted elections in January 2018, it was based on parliamentary system. I have the pleasure to inform you that the elections we are conducting this 2022 shall be on presidential system whereby Chairmen of Local Government Councils shall be elected directly and the Ward Councillors shall be elected separately.

 

“For some time now, the Commission had been making necessary

contacts with relevant Stakeholders and carrying out in-house preparations for the conduct of Local Government Elections,” the chairman said.

 

He explained that the commission on August 12 had a parley with all the political parties in the state where they were informed of the impending conduct of the elections, adding that the election will be credible.

 

Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had filed a suit before the Federal High Court, Osogbo, in FHC/OS/CS/94/2022, challenging OSSIEC on the conduct of the LG election and prayed the court to restrain INEC from releasing voters register to OSSIEC for reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 with respect to giving notice of elections, nomination of candidates, publication of names etc.

 

Speaking on the litigation, OSSIEC chairman said the commission act does not contradict the Electoral act 2022 and prior notice has been duly served.