Obi to Nigerians: Take full ownership of governance

By VINCENT UJUMADU AWKA—Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has charged Nigerians to take full ownership of governance, saying it would help to fast-track development. Speaking at the stakeholders’ consultative meeting on Anambra State’s Application for 2012 MDGS Conditional Grant Scheme in Awka yesterday, Obi noted that the system failed in the past because the people did not assume proper responsibility in governance. He explained that his administration had continued to carry everybody along as well as opened the door for public involvement and input in decision making, adding that regular interaction would afford people the opportunity to understand and appreciate government policies and programmes. The DFID team leader and national programme manager of the agency, Dr. Joe Abba, said Anambra State had remained consistent in championing the pace in the implementation of the DFID programmes. Abba noted that it was a reflection of good governance entrenched by Governor Obi’s administration, and recalled that the state was chosen to pioneer the Governor’s Forum Peer Review Mechanism and the first state to offer itself to self-assessment, which has become a reference point in the country. He also observed that Anambra was the first state where stakeholders were practically involved in governance, urging other states to emulate it. The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Professor Chinyere Okunna said the MDG, as global aspiration towards good governance, was important as the state vision was anchored on them. She observed that the Obi administration was poised to do more for the state and called for fruitful inputs as the administration is grassroots-oriented. In an address, the special adviser to the governor on MDGs, Mrs. Vivian Nwandu, disclosed that the state had proposed allocation of N1.2 billion, with the Federal Government expected to inject N600 million which will be matched with the state government cash counterpart contribution of N600m. Nwandu explained that adequate consultations would encourage communities to appreciate the need to take ownership of the projects to ensure sustainability urging them to help track and monitor execution of projects in their areas.