Ondo state has been adjudged third best state in fiscal transparency and integrity in Nigeria.
The rating, recently released by the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTIW) in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, places Ondo behind Ekiti and Kaduna who ranked first and second respectively.
CeFTIW said it considered six key areas: Accessibility, Open Budget, Public Procurement, Human Resources, Anti-Corruption, and citizen engagement in generating the rating index.
In a statement to acknowledge this enviable feat, Ondo state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, noted that the “positive achievement did not come in one fell swoop”.
The commissioner said “It was achieved in a structured way. Sudden leaps are the stuff of comic books, theater, and movies.
“The state is fortunate to have Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, CON, a man steeped in the notion of institutions as the decisive engine room for development as its helmsman.”
She explained that “The steady climb up the transparency and accountability ladder by Ondo state is a laudable understanding of the foundations needed for sustainable as opposed to ephemeral development.
“Transparency leads to better costing of projects, and better service delivery. It also helps to develop the institutional memory needed for the long term.”
“That is why the institutional philosophy of Akeredolu is the REDEEMED Agenda. The 8-point REDEEMED Agenda represents, Rural and Agricultural Development; Educational Advancement and Human Capital Development; Development through Massive Infrastructure; Efficient Service Delivery, Development and Policy Implementation; Effective Health Care and Social Welfare Services; Maintenance of Law and Order for Adequate Security; Energy, Mining and Sustainable Industries; as well as Digital Revolution and Entrepreneurship.”
Ademola-Olateju said, Akeredolu, “through this report has earned his place in history as the custodian of the tradition of accountability.
“This sets a marker which must be institutionalised before the end of his tenure in office. The gains must be protected and codified! Akeredolu’s legacy must be built upon” she concluded.
Ekiti, Kaduna, Ondo, Lagos and Gombe are the top five states while Adamawa, Benue, Ogun, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom occupy the bottom position.
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