Joseph Odok|9 December 2015|5:38am
A government that lacks transparency is surely a corrupt government. This is so because
transparency is the hallmark upon which every democracy is built on.
Democracy by its definition is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. When the legislators begin to conspire with the government of the day to hide
information about the appropriation bill of the state by cutting corners in grave matters like the
appropriation bill of the State, they build a corrupt system and starve the people while scrambling for
peanuts.
Where is the dignity of the legislators when they become appendages of the government?
Information reaching my desk reveals that the governor of Cross River State plagiarised the Liyel
Imoke 2014 appropriation bill and presented to Cross River State indigenes as 2015 appropriation
bill. In normal practice, the budget is defended in open with documents made public before the
presentation of the appropriation bill is approved by the legislators.
Furthermore, it has been revealed
that only the governor of Cross River State had a copy of the over N350 billions appropriation bill presented to the Cross River State House of
Assembly. No wonder the governor was seen presenting the budget without any impact by the
legislators, without the formation of the cabinet or any impact from stakeholders and stakeholders. The dumb legislators were not seen with any document during the presentation of the budget by the governor.
There was no input by the MDAs nor
was the Executive Council constituted before the presentation of the appropriation bill. Only in PDP government can such façade pass as a working document.
The appropriation bill of any state is a public document. Be that as it is, the Cross River State budget is yet to be seen by anybody long after being passed by the rubber stamped legislators. I dare the government to make public the document for public perusal if my claims are deemed to be unfounded. It has been a normal practice in the defence of each budget, the people are invited while
the state government presents the budget. This was the practice even in the generally acclaimed corrupt
government of Liyel Imoke led PDP.
No wonder the media hype after the budget presentation. No wonder the search for different awards by the state governor and possible payment of a set of persons to acclaim the Cross River State
appropriation bill as one of the best in Nigeria.
Now that the cabinet is fully constituted, I dare any
commissioner or MDA to make public the appropriation bill of their ministries. The oversight function of the legislators is well protected by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. Be that as it may, the Cross River State House of Assembly have continued to conspire with the government of the day to rob us of the dividends of democracy.
Is Cross River State really for sale? Can the legislators show some
workings? Why the slaughter of the people for the projection of primitive spirit of wealth acquisition? We must act fast to save our state from hawks that feast on our common future.
Joseph Odok
Is a Social Activist, University Don & Legal Practitioner