I recently had the opportunity to speak to some civil servants in Abuja about the concepts of accountability and transparency. Here are some highlights of our discussion some of which were culled from the public institutions geared with role of fighting corruption.
There are some tests we can use to determine whether a government is accountable to the public:
(a) The Fiscal Prudence Test-the key question here is: Is
Government losing money? Is there value for money in government expenditure?
Can things be done in a cheaper way? Are estimates and budgets “overloaded”
with private attachments and interests?
(b) Citizen’s Accountability Test- Are services being delivered
to the people? Is the electorate satisfied with the state of public
infrastructure and services?
(c) Public Integrity Test- How is the executive arm held
responsible for charges of abuses of office?
(d) Public Morality Test- Is the business of government being
run by people with a public conscience?
There is VERTICAL ACCOUNTABILITY-which is the
accountability of government to the voting public through the ballot box. This
is closely allied with the capacity of the electorate to remove a government
that fail to account to them or deliver services. It assumes the
existence of a political culture where the individual’s vote counts. The other
form of accountability is HORIZONTAL ACCOUNTABILITY-which the accountability of
government institutions to anti-corruption and anti-graft agencies. It also
includes the accountability of the public sector to statutory auditing
agencies; oversight committees of the state assemblies and the National
Assembly; human rights agencies and the media.
Transparency is characterized by the following:
(a) A disclosure system.
(b) Access to information.
(c) Openness to public participation.
(d) Absence of undue secrecy.
(e) Readiness to face and accommodate legitimate scrutiny.
(f) Humility on the part of executive office holders through
readiness to answer questions raised by citizens.
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