DELTA State Government (DTSG) has charged members of the newly inaugurated State Steering Committee for Open Government Partnership (OGP) to collaborate and co-operate with relevant organs of OGP at the national and international levels to enable them achieve set goals.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, gave the charge in his office in Asaba at the inauguration of the 11-man Delta State Steering Committee for Open Government Partnership (OGP).
Chief Ukah said the idea for the formation of the Open Government Partnership was to foster a governance system characterised by transparency, accountability and openness.
He equally stated that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had demonstrated strong inclination towards transparency, accountability and due diligence in the management of public finances to develop the state towards delivering prosperity for all Deltans.
Chief Ukah said the state OGP Steering Committee was expected to develop a state action plan with a two-year periodic timeline in conformity with the national action plan as adopted by each member country.
The SSG said the state OGP would be headed by two Co-Chairmen: one from the Government State Steering Committee and the other from non-state stakeholders in line with the OGP’s spirit of co-creation and international standard.
He enjoined members of the committee to take cognisance of the imperative to strengthen institutional capacity, fiscal responsibility, boost transparency and ensure inclusive participation on the governance process.
The Chairman, Delta State Open Government Partnership Steering Committee, who also is the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Barry Gbe, on behalf of other members of the committee, pledged that they would do their best to make Delta State one of the states in the country that demonstrated transparency and openness in governance.
He thanked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for finding them worthy to serve the state, adding that their work would be seamless as the Okowa Administration had been running and implementing the basic principles of the OGP.
By Oghenero Orovwuje
