tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003061036846925103.post7340177124998048017..comments2024-02-16T22:13:18.034+00:00Comments on The Afro Beat: RESPONSI-KINI?TheAfroBeathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13909748861182207942noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003061036846925103.post-75277557065667201402007-05-24T13:10:00.000+00:002007-05-24T13:10:00.000+00:00The government is not the problem in Nigeria. For ...The government is not the problem in Nigeria. For too long we have made them the scapegoat for our own failings. As someone who has worked in corporate Nigeria i daresay the private sector in Nigeria is more dangerous to us than the government. Who dosen't know of the culture of graft in most companies? Which bank lends to the working class? how many people can get jobs in the private labour market without some form of patronage or prostitution? The truth is that corruption has become a cultural thing so i fear we are beating the wrong horse!Ayetorohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09148906162854947722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003061036846925103.post-52246490494718973522007-05-16T16:32:00.000+00:002007-05-16T16:32:00.000+00:00What of independent auditors? Don't we have Nation...What of independent auditors? Don't we have National Association of Auditors or something similar?The problem with my country is lack of grassroot participation....noone cares. National body of students, Teachers, doctors and co are suffering from perennial inertia. We are too lackadaisical to form coherent body of aggresive action(s)Moody Crabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09389946465270541951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003061036846925103.post-61514810605065934162007-05-06T18:06:00.000+00:002007-05-06T18:06:00.000+00:00I agree, there definitely needs to be more account...I agree, there definitely needs to be more accountability top to bottom, but who then enforces that? I think presently, accounts are meant to be open to the public, but States almost never make proposed or approved budgets publicly available. Public comment during the formulation of these budgets is nil.Noone ensures the governors and LG's do this. You're right though, that the last thing we need is more absolute power in the hands of the president.<BR/><BR/>Another option might be civil society groups, which are aimed at budget monitoring. They would act on behalf of the pp, and make sure this info is publicly available (in print and other media forms, and in person at the grassroots level). But who would set them up? and follow through? they'd have to be genuinely passionate about it, and be paid well enough so that they aren't tempted to accept bribes. I know for a fact that there's one for Kebbi state (an NGO called "Community Action for Popular Participation"), don't know how successful they've been but it's a start!TheAfroBeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13909748861182207942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003061036846925103.post-11131990754405196132007-05-06T15:38:00.000+00:002007-05-06T15:38:00.000+00:00Perhaps an amendment to the constitution in form o...Perhaps an amendment to the constitution in form of the Fiscal Responsibility Bill is the best way out although I do agree with the state governors that making them accountable to the federal government does tamper with their independence. I think the more useful mechanism for accountability or checks and balances would be using another branch of the government, either legislative or judiciary, and not executive. <BR/><BR/>More importantly, the 'budgets' and spending practices need to be made public and available to the constituents in each state so that we know how our governors spend the money and whether or not we should 'vote' to reinstate them at the end of their tenures. <BR/><BR/>In summary, there is no question that there needs to be A WHOLE LOT more accountability at the state and even the local level but I don't think it should be to the Federal Government. The last thing we need is to give people like Obasanjo more ways of carrying out their vendettas against political opponents. I think transparency and the use of the other branches of government should do the trick. Just a thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com