Ibrahim Sulaiman
Zaria: The Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTIW) has trained selected Legal Practitioners and journalists to build a network that would promote transparency, accountability and good governance at the sub-national level.
Executive Director of the Centre, Dr. Yakubu on Wednesday in Zaria, explained that the training was hinged on the judgment of the Supreme Court on the financial autonomy of Local governments.
The executive director said the judgment hints at an urgent need to sensitize stakeholders such as Lawyers and Journalists on accountability measures to be used towards strengthening transparency and good governance at the local government level,’’ he said.
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“The legal practitioners and journalists are accountability actors; journalists conduct investigative reports to highlight what the government is supposed to do or fail to do while lawyers give direction and backing”
“I can imagine a scenario when lawyers and journalists come together towards the same goal, in this case, I can be sure of effective good governance at local government level,’’ Yakubu said
Dr. Yakubu pointed out that the participants were trained on accountability measures they could use to measure the transparency and integrity index to gauge public sector expenditure at local government level.
According to him, legal practitioners and journalists were carefully selected to cascade the accountability mechanism down to the grassroots towards enhancing demands for accountability and good governance at the sub national levels.
Earlier, Mr A. Y. Musa, one of the senior lawyers at the workshop said the training was very educating, adding that as lawyers we have learnt many new things.
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He noted that the coming together of the lawyers and journalists to checkmate the use of the funds allocated to local governments would be beneficial to the society especially at the local governments.
Musa stressed that the training had further equipped lawyers on the need for effective synergy with the journalists and other key stakeholders to enhance the wellbeing of the people especially at the local government level.
Similarly, Alhaji Abubakar Sadeeq, Secretary, NUJ Zaria chapter commended the center for the training.
“NUJ Zaria chapter would redouble its efforts to pursue reports that would better the wellbeing of citizens”