Sokoto gov vows to sustain transparency, accountability

The Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Sokoto, has pledged that his administration will continue to uphold the practice of State Fiscal Transparency and Accountability, focusing on strengthening fiscal monitoring and ensuring accountability in the conduct of government business in a transparent manner.

The governor gave this assurance on Thursday during the 2025 budget consultation meeting organised by the state Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in conjunction with the USAID State2State activity at Dankani Guest Palace, Sokoto.

Represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Balarabe Musa Kadadi, the governor described the meeting as a valuable opportunity for brainstorming and exchanging ideas among participants drawn from key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies that are critical to Public Financial Management.

He noted that the consultation meeting is a sound scientific approach that will add value to the budgetary process and its performance.

He said, “This will guide our future projections in line with past and current realities, helping us avoid over-budgeting.

“As you are all aware, Sokoto State has come a long way in reforming the budget process in line with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards and the National Chart of Accounts.

“The current administration places special emphasis on an effective and efficient Public Financial System and will continue to uphold the practice of State Fiscal Transparency and Accountability, which focuses on strengthening fiscal monitoring and accountability in the transparent conduct of government business.”

While commending USAID State2State for its contribution to the state, he assured that the government would continue to support and enhance the capacity of the workforce in all relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to meet modern standards for effective service delivery.

“The current administration is resolved to institutionalise a realistic, scientific, and all-inclusive budget in the state governance system. This is driven by our desire to accommodate and contextualise the aspirations of different segments of society in the distribution of our commonwealth,” he added.

Speaking in her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Hajia Barade, said the consultation aimed to review the current progress and issues affecting the budgetary process, arrive at a broad-based consensus, and recommend appropriate strategies moving forward into the 2025 budget process.

She said, “I am quite confident that our deliberations and interactions today on the 2024 budget, the journey so far, progress, and challenges will inform our thinking as we begin preparations for the 2025 budget.”

“Being the first pre-budget preparation consultation meeting in the state, the effort is intended to give more focus and clarity to our individual MDAs, sectors, and sub-sectors in their quest for rapid development.”

Meanwhile, one of the participants, Safiya Abdulazeez, who is also a member of the Community Development Charter (CDC) for Gwadabawa Local Government Area, commended the involvement of USAID State2State in the activity.

She said that with the involvement of USAID State2State, the CDC was able to achieve up to fifty per cent of its input in the 2024 budget from the five local governments.

She added that the progress recorded by the CDC in its pioneer five local governments, which include Wamakko, Gwadabawa, Sokoto South, Sokoto North, and Tambuwal local governments, has led to the inclusion of two more local governments, Gada and Denge-Shuni, to accommodate more people-oriented projects at the grassroots level.

The Sokoto State team lead of State2State, Abdulkadir Aminu Ladan, in his remarks, described the consultation meeting as an avenue to encourage citizens to have input in the budget preparation.

He commended the contribution of the CDC in the 2024 budget, noting that over fifty per cent and eighty per cent of their demands were captured in the 2024 budget at both the state and local government levels, respectively.