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Tag: BudgIT

  • BudgIT: only 40 per cent of 2016 constituency projects completed in 20 states

    BudgIT: only 40 per cent of 2016 constituency projects completed in 20 states

    •Schemes labelled donations by lawmakers

    ONLY 40.3 per cent of constituency projects were completed in 2016 in 20 states, a civil organisation, BudgIT Nigeria has said.

    The organisation, which is interested in ensuring transparency and accountability in government budgets, said it tracked 852 projects across 20 states between June 2016 and June 2017.

    The states are: Kogi, Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Edo, Delta, Sokoto, Kaduna, Niger, Gombe, Lagos, Ondo, Imo, Cross River, Ekiti, Osun, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi and Enugu.

    BudgIT, in its latest Tracka Report, said of the 852 projects tracked, 343 projects remained unexecuted, 118 are ongoing and only 350 reached completion.

    The Federal Government last year released N100 billion to the National Assembly for constituency projects after it failed to consider President Muhammadu Buhari’s N180 billion virement request.

    However, BudgIT’s Co-founder and Team Lead, Seun Onigbinde, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, insisted that the projects, which many Nigerians have kicked, against remained largely unexecuted and with little impact on Nigerians.

    According to him, the organisation’s Project Tracking Officers in 20 states discovered that most of the projects were signed off and contractors paid most of their fees by government authorities without most of the projects been executed.

    He said: “These statistics show that 40.3 per cent of the projects were implemented, 13.8 per cent are ongoing, 41.1 per cent are uncompleted, while the locations of 4.8 per cent are unspecified.

    “In a number of cases across focus states, we noticed that 343 of the 852 projects identified in the 2016 budget remain willfully unexecuted. Our research from Tracka’s Project Tracking Officers (PTOs) across the 20 states discovered that these projects were signed off and contractors got paid most of their fees by government authorities.

    “This situation is to the detriment of citizens, who are often restricted from asking questions, due to a lack of information on project allocation and implementation status.

    “This has been the situation since the inception of Tracka. For effective project tracking, it is imperative that project locations are clearly defined in the budget and made available to the public.

    “Failure to do this is harmful to democracy, depriving communities and civil society organisations the opportunity to monitor and ensure proper implementation of government’s obligations to the people.”

    Onigbinde said it discovered that the locations of 41 projects contained in 2016 budget remained unspecified.

    He said the organisation discovered that 2016 federal constituency projects within the National Assembly were labelled “donations”.

    “We reiterate that constituency projects should not be labelled donations by their representatives in the National Assembly, as this comes off as a malicious attempt at deliberately misinforming the public for selfish political interests.

    “We demand that contract details be prioritised to ensure citizen participation in contract awards via the provision of accurate details of all contract`s (contractors’ names, government budget benchmark, terms of the agreement, bill of quantity, etc), placed in the public domain.

    “Representatives should routinely engage their constituents in the budget-making process to ensure their needs are captured in every annual fiscal plan.  Project locations should be spelt out, for easy access by citizens and organisations.

    “As noted, in several cases, budget line items identified project titles, specifications and monetary amounts, but failed to establish the actual project location. Unclear locations and other such details mean certain projects are extremely prone to misappropriation of funds and corruption,” he added.

  • BudgIT: Only 40% of 2016 constituency projects completed in 20 states

    BudgIT: Only 40% of 2016 constituency projects completed in 20 states

    Only 40.3 per cent of constituency projects were completed in 2016 in 20 states, a civic technology organization, BudgIT Nigeria has disclosed.

    The organization, which is interested in ensuring transparency and accountability in government budgets, said it tracked852 projects across 20 states between June 2016 and June 2017.
     
    The states are; Kogi, Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Edo, Delta, Sokoto, Kaduna, Niger, Gombe, Lagos, Ondo, Imo, Cross River, Ekiti, Osun, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, and Enugu.
     
    BudgIT, in its latest Tracka Report, said out of the 852 projects tracked, 343 projects remained unexecuted, 118 are ongoing while only 350 reached completion.
     
    The Federal Government last year released N100 billion to the National Assembly for constituency projects after it failed to consider President Muhammadu Buhari’s N180 billion virement request.
     
    However, BudgIT’s Co-founder and Team Lead, Seun Onigbinde, in a statement in Abuja on Monday, insisted that these projects, which many Nigerians have kicked against remained largely unexecuted and with little impact on Nigerians.
     
    According to him, the organization’s Project Tracking Officers in 20 states discovered that most of the projects were signed off and contractors paid most of their fees by government authorities without most of the projects been executed.  
     
    He said: “These statistics show that 40.3% of the projects were implemented, 13.8% are ongoing, 41.1% are uncompleted, while the locations of 4.8% are unspecified.
     
    “In a number of cases across focus states, we noticed that 343 of the 852 projects identified in the 2016 budget remain willfully unexecuted. Our research from Tracka’s Project Tracking Officers (PTOs) across the 20 states discovered that these projects were signed off and contractors got paid most of their fees with little by government authorities.
     
    “This situation is to the detriment of citizens, who are often restricted from asking questions, due to a lack of information on project allocation and implementation status.
     
    “This has been the situation since the inception of Tracka. For effective project tracking, it is imperative that project locations are clearly defined in the budget and made available to the public. 
     
    “Failure to do this is harmful to democracy, depriving communities and civil society organizations the opportunity to monitor and ensure proper implementation of government’s obligations to the people.”
     
    BudgIT said it discovered that the locations of 41 projects contained in 2016 budget remained unspecified.
     
    He also said the organization discovered that 2016 federal constituency projects within the National Assembly were labelled “donations.”
     
    “We reiterate that constituency projects should not be labelled donations by their representatives in the National Assembly, as this comes off as a malicious attempt at deliberately misinforming the public for selfish political interests. 
     
    “We demand that contract details be prioritized to ensure citizen participation in contract awards via the provision of accurate details of all contract`s (contractors’ names, government budget benchmark, terms of the agreement, bill of quantity, etc), placed in the public domain.
     
    “Representatives should routinely engage their constituents in the budget-making process to ensure their needs are captured in every annual fiscal plan.  Project locations should be spelt out, for easy access by citizens and organizations.
     
    “As noted, in several cases, budget line items identified project titles, specifications and monetary amounts, but failed to establish the actual project location. Unclear locations and other such details mean certain projects are extremely prone to misappropriation of funds and corruption,” he added.

  • Group partners U.S government to fight corruption

    BudgIT, a civic tech organization committed to raising standards of transparency has partnered with the United States Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria to launch “Report Yourself”, a web-based platform that leverages citizen engagement to fight corruption.

    Developed by BudgIT, the initiative funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, also includes the Religious Leaders Anti-Corruption (RLAC) working group and Nigerian law enforcement agencies.

    Oluseun Onigbinde, lead partner, BudgIT, expressed optimism saying the initiative would not only fight corruption but help Nigerians gained back their lost prestige. Also, Stanley Achonu, Operations Manager at BudgIT, described “Report Yourself” as an opportunity to collaborate with religious leaders to monitor the level of corruption at the grassroots.

    On his part, the  U.S. Chargé d’ Affaires David Young explained that the platform  puts the power to report corruption in the hands of the Nigerian people.

    “I hope that “Report Yourself” starts a new movement in citizen engagement and I hope every Nigerian who is affected by corruption will feel empowered to share their experiences. The tide will turn against the culture of corruption when Nigerians recognize that they must fight as one to stamp out this scourge that has hampered development and stifled prosperity,” he said.

    Young also urged Nigerians to demonstrate their commitment to the fight against corruption by making use of the innovative online platform which seeks to address the daily instances of corruption faced by millions of Nigerians.

    Abayomi Shogunle, assistant commissioner of police in charge of the Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit, urged Nigerians to take up the war against corruption and drop the habit of “leaving it for God”.

    Delegates at lunch received a guided demonstration of the platform. “Report Yourself” offers Nigerians the means to instantaneously report corruption, bribery, and graft with the option of filing an official compliant with the Nigerian Police Force Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit.

     

  • 20 states yet to make budget details public – BudgIT

    20 states yet to make budget details public – BudgIT

    About 20 states have failed to publicly disclose their proposed 2017 budget, a civic technology organisation, BudgIT Nigeria, has said.

    The organization, which is interested in ensuring transparency and accountability in government budgets, said only Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kogi States released the details of their budgets.

    BudgIT, in a statement issued by its Co-founder and Team Lead, Oluseun Onigbinde, in Abuja, said only 14 states had posted details of its budgets online.

    The states, according to Onigbinde, were Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ondo, Abia, Plateau and Yobe.

    The statement reads: “This   reveals  that   Lagos,   Rivers,   Osun,   Oyo,   Anambra,   Benue,   Borno,  Cross   River,   Delta, Enugu,  Imo,  Kebbi, Niger, Ogun,  Sokoto, Taraba, Zamfara  and  Adamawa  States  have  not made their detailed approved budget available online.

    “It is also found out that certain states such as Lagos published summaries online that provide no project details that citizens can effectively track.

    “Contrary   to   the   conditions   tied   to   the   N90bn   bailout   fund   provided   by   the   Minister   of Finance, none of the 36 states have made their budget implementation report available to the public.”

    Onigbinde said making budget document public by publishing it online was central to ensuring transparency and good governance.

    According to him, while huge emphasis had been placed on the Federal Government, radical transparency was needed at the sub-national level if Nigeria hopes to curb corruption.

    “We believe that making budget document public, mostly through online means, is central to transparency and good governance. It is important to understand in clear terms what the government at the sub-national level is doing with public funds. While huge emphasis has been placed on the Federal Government, radical transparency is needed at the sub-national level   if Nigeria   hopes   to   curb   corruption.

    “Our   research   showed   that   most   states   require citizens to either pay for hard copies of the budgets or go through a lengthy application process for what is meant to be a public document and can be posted freely online.

    “While Nigerians pay little attention to state finances, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria, out of the N50tn spent between 2011 and 2015, 36 state governments and the FCT cumulatively spent over N18.89tn, representing 38 per cent of entire expenditure.

    “Advocacy to ensure the public knowledge of how and what states spends taxpayers funds on will not cease. We believe that a functional society is that which takes into highest regards citizen engagement and participation in all areas. Without budget information, it is near impossible   to   participate   in   government,   thus   defeating   the   concept   and   essence   of democracy altogether.

    “We implore the citizens to also continually demand accountability from those in charge of their funds and keep them on their toes to improve on the current governance structure,” the statement added.

  • 19 states fail to make budget details public – BudgIT

    About 19 states have failed to make the details of their proposed 2017 budget pubic, a civic technology organization, BudgIT Nigeria, has said.

    The organization, which is interested in ensuring transparency and accountability in government budgets, said only Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kogi states made the details of their budgets public.

    BudgIT in a statement by its Co-founder and Team Lead, Oluseun Onigbinde, in Abuja, said only fourteen states had posted details of its budgets online.

    The states, according to Onigbinde, include; Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kaduna,
    Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ondo, Abia, Plateau and Yobe.

    The statement reads: “This   reveals  that   Lagos,   Rivers,   Osun,   Oyo,   Anambra,   Benue,   Borno, Cross   River,   Delta, Enugu,  Imo,  Kebbi, Niger, Ogun,  Sokoto, Taraba, Zamfara  and  Adamawa  states  have  not made their detailed approved budget available online.

    “It is also found out that certain states such as Lagos publish summaries online that provide no project details that citizens can effectively track.

    “Contrary   to   the   conditions   tied   to   the   N90bn   bailout   fund   provided   by   the   Minister   of Finance, none of the 36 states have made their budget implementation report available to the public.”

    Onigbinde said making budget document public by publishing it online was central to ensuring transparency and good governance.

    According to him, while huge emphasis had been placed on the Federal Government, radical transparency was needed at the sub-national level if Nigeria   hoped to curb corruption.

    “We believe that making budget document public, mostly through online means, is central to transparency and good governance. It is important to understand in clear terms what the government at the sub-national level is doing with public funds. While huge emphasis has been placed on the Federal Government, radical transparency is needed at the sub-national level   if   Nigeria   hopes   to   curb   corruption.

    “Our   research   shows   that   most   states   require citizens to either pay for hard copies of the budgets or go through a lengthy application process for what is meant to be a public document and can be posted freely online.

    “While Nigerians pay little attention to state finances, according to the Central Bank of
    Nigeria, out of the N50tn spent between 2011 and 2015, 36 state governments and the FCT cumulatively spent over N18.89tn, representing 38% of entire expenditure.

    “Advocacy to ensure the public knowledge of how and what states spends taxpayers funds on will not cease. We believe that a functional society is that which takes into highest regards citizen engagement and participation in all areas.     Without budget information, it is near impossible   to   participate   in   government,   thus   defeating   the   concept   and   essence   of democracy altogether.

    “We implore the citizens to also continually demand   accountability from those in charge of their funds and keep them on their toes to improve on the current governance structure,” the statement added.

  • I still want to become president – Donald Duke

    I still want to become president – Donald Duke

    A former governor of Cross River State, Mr Donald Duke, on Tuesday said he would still take a shot at the presidency, if the opportunity presented itself.

    Duke spoke at a programme, “The Nigerian Symposium for Emerging Leaders’’, held in Lagos.

    He said though he once aspired to the position but did not emerge the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he would still contest for the highest office in the country at the appropriate time.

    Duke explained that it was because of his preference for the presidential seat that he did not vie for any federal legislative seat after serving out his terms as governor.

    “I do not have the flair for the legislature; standing up and sitting down at the chambers to raise a point. That was why I did not contest for the Senate but the presidency, after serving out my term as governor.

    “I have contested the presidency before; I will still give it a shot when the opportunity presents itself . I believe I still have the energy in me,“he said.

    The former governor canvassed the reform of the country’s political system to accommodate wider participation and good governance.

    He suggested the review of the electoral law to allow for independent candidacy.

    Duke said the country’s democracy would fare better if young people, who form the larger proportion of the population ,took more active part in its political process.

    He said most developed countries had young people as their leaders at one point or the other in their democratic history.

    The former governor, however, said power was never given easily, urging young people to participate in the political process and use their prime to add value to the country.

    “I want to urge young people in the country not to see leadership as if it belongs to some people, but do everything positive to be part of it.

    “You can only make a difference at the prime of your life. You can actually add value now, not when you are above 50.

    “So, you need to be part of the political process and play your part. It is your right to be there; nobody is doing you a favour.

    “You represent more than 60 per cent of the population;  you don’t have to beg for it.

    “Just make effort to make that change and contribute your quota to nation building,’’ he said.

    Duke urged government at all levels to be accountable and challenged the governed to demand more from their leaders.

    Also speaking, former Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra State decried lack of transparency and accountability in government.

    He said the situation was responsible for the level of corruption in the country and poor delivery of dividends of democracy.

    Obi said the way out of the quagmire was for leaders to carry the governed along in budgetary spending and plans for effective tracking.

    “The way forward is that governments should make their budgets more explicit and published. The plans and the money to be spent on them should be clearly stated.

    “That is when people can track and make comparative analysis with previous budgets and then we can achieve some transparency,’’ he said.

    The former governor also urged the masses to show more interest in the budget so as to keep leaders on their toes.

    Mr Seun Onigbinde, Chief Executive Officer, Budgit, an organisation with interest in accountability in public finance, urged Nigerians to demand accountability from their governments.

    He also urged governments at all levels to always carry the people along in their budgetary proposals and implementation to achieve accountability.

  • ‘Army lost 336 soldiers to Boko Haram in seven years’

    A civic technology organization, BudgIT Nigeria has said about 336 soldiers, 5,929 Boko Haram members and 7,136 civilians were killed due to activities of insurgents in the North-East between 2009 and 2016.

    The organization, at a roundtable discussion with reporters on Tuesday in Abuja, also said 181 suicide bombers died during the period under review, while 3,384 persons were injured.

    Using its BH Tracker web, the tech-driven civic organization, said the highest number of soldiers’ deaths was recorded in 2014, as about 114 soldiers died in that year.

    It added that this was followed by 76 deaths in the preceding year.

    Only one soldier died in 2009, the organization said.

    On the number of Boko Haram members that died during the seven-year period, the report said the highest casualty figure of 1,471 deaths was recorded in 2015, while only three insurgents died in 2010.

    BudgIT said the highest civilian casualty was seen in 2015, as 2,585 persons lost their lives to insurgency in the North-East, adding that 1,975 others died in 2014.

    The lowest casualty figure of 86 deaths was recorded in 2010.

     

     

  • BudgIT to Nigerians: Express Displeasure over stamp duty laws

    BudgIT to Nigerians: Express Displeasure over stamp duty laws

    Nigeria’s Civic technology organization, BudgIT Nigeria, has urged Nigerians to express displeasure over the stamp duty law of the Federal Government considering the effect the law would have on the finances of the common man.

    This assertion was given  in a statement made available to reporters in Abuja on Monday by a financial analyst, Oluseun Onigbinde, who is also the Co-founder and Team Lead of interactive financial platform, BudgIT Nigeria.

    According to the statement, Onigbinde said this during a seminar with the organization’s consultants from 13 states in conjunction with a number of civil society organizations (CSOs) to keep abreast of happenings with Nigeria’s budget in Abuja.

    Onigbinde said that the goal was to get the right approach and methodology by Nigerians on how to track government projects in their communities.

    The statement reads: “The law says that there must be stamp duties and the High Court reinforces that. That is good. Understandably, we need to raise non oil revenue. However, this law favours only those in government and their interests.

    “Strangely, people are not demanding accountability from those in government. People are not asking questions, demanding accountability or anything of sort from government.

    “Perhaps, when it hits Nigerians that for every deposit, no matter how small, they will be charged N50, then they will understand the import of the law.

    “Now, we must come together to insist that we want the law amended or repealed. If we don’t the government will assume that we are rosy with the law, therefore, it will stay.

    “Nigerians need to pay more attention to what is happening. We pay taxes and all forms of amounts are deducted from our salaries, but when the government wants to raise more non oil revenue funds, it comes back to us instead of going to the Nigeria Customs, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and others.

    “These parastatals of government, ministries raise billions of naira yearly, but they do not account for it as transparently as they should.”

     

     

  • Consumersng Awards announce winners

    Consumersng Awards announce winners

    Consumersng has announced Ondo State, GTBank, Jumia, Etisalat among 16 other corporate entities/governmental bodies listed as the 20 Consumer Brands of the year.

    Consumersng is an online platform advocating for a more consumer-centric ambience in Nigeria and to promote a fair play between businesses.

    The winners in the different categories are, E-governance- Ondo’s smartcart (Kaadi Igbe Ayo); Bank of the year- GTBank; Beauty and Cosmetics (Innovations)- Natures Gentle Touch; Real estate site of the year: Lamudi’; Social Enterprise (Impact)- BudgiT; Corporate Finance- Dunn Loren Merrifield; Job creation- Jobberman; Transport (innovation)- Easy Taxi.

    Others are, Online retailer- Jumia; Health service- Flying Doctors Nigeria; Telecoms- Etisalat; Foods/drinks related services- Hellofood; Logistics – Konga Express; New Media (Innovations)- Iroko TV; Printing (Innovation of the year), Printivo; Hospitality/Tourism (Innovations)- Jovago; Education Site of the year- Passng; Car Search site of the year – Carmudi Online payment platform- Interswitch; Agriculture- Nobex Tech.

    Speaking about the awards, Head, Communications, Consumersng, Funsho Williams-A, said that the idea is initiated in recognition of brands who are best adopting high tech/digital initiatives in easing the burden of service delivery which is otherwise encountered between manufacturers and consumers.

    She added: “We commend the dynamic disposition of the 20 winning brands towards the businesses they do, and assure that we will do all in our capacity to position them as models for others to emulate in a country where consumer rights appreciation/people-centered plans are continually on the decline.

    “While this award might not mirror the impressive financial gains of service providers, it is our pride that the idea is based on consumer’s merit and it reflects the reality of services valued.

    “Activities which entails a voting process, which was opened to consumers online for a week, as well as recommendations from other notable industry watchers were all put into consideration in deciding the winning brands of the day in the 20 categories.”

  • Firm urges Ambode to fix more roads

    Firm urges Ambode to fix more roads

    Nigeria’s civic technology organization, BudgIT Nigeria, has called on Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, to repair the bad roads in the state.

    BudgIT, in a statement endorsed by its Team Lead/ Co-Founder, Oluseun Onigbinde, appealed to the government to look into the deplorable states of roads in other to ease the lives of Lagos citizens.

    While commending the state government on the work done on the Omobola Road, Itire, Onigbinde urged the governor to do more work on other roads in the state.

    The statement reads: “Now while we understand that traffic congestion is a common feature in major cities around the world, it is definitely obvious that a majority of the traffic jam faced within the Lagos Metropolis can be completely avoidable if certain measures are put in place.

    “An example of such measures will be the fixing of bad roads as well as the consistent maintenance of these roads.

    “As the Center of Excellence, the Commercial Capital of Nigeria, it is quite embarrassing to say the least, to have major roads in such deplorable state.

    “Major roads like the popular Ikorodu Road (Fadeyi) and the Herbert Macaulay Way (Along Yaba Tech. Bus-stop) are two major roads we want to bring to your attention today as we believe that the fixing of these roads will go a long way to ease the tension we face daily.

    “We must however, not cease to appreciate the present administration on the job that has done so far since assuming office. The job that has been done on the Omobola Road, Itire is commendable, but we need more work done.

    “We currently have a project tagged ‘My Lagos Road’ that tracks the status of road within the state and invariably reports to the government. The next phase of the project will focus on the extension of road tracking to other areas within the state.

    “The reports gathered will be documented in the database and few major roads tracked will be printed and presented to the State Government.

    “This therefore serves as a Notification for urgent action on the above mentioned roads. We hope something will be done as soon as possible.”