The Center advocates for a centralized portal and website to encourage transparency in MDAs –

The Center for Tax Transparency and Integrity (CFTIW) has called for a centralized portal and website across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to encourage transparency in governance.

The centre’s executive director, Umar Yakubu, made the call Thursday in Abuja during the presentation of the Transparency and Integrity Index Methodology Manual for 2022.

Yakubu said introducing the portal and website as a public domain in all government offices would promote transparency and accountability in the system.

He said the center; a non-partisan organization was there to promote mechanisms of accountability, transparency and integrity within the public sector.

Yakubu added that as part of measures to promote accountability of public institutions in Nigeria, the center introduced on September 28, 2021, United Nations International Day of Access to Information, the Transparency and Accountability Index. Integrity (TII) 2021.

According to him, the Index, being a pioneering project, is the first of its kind to cover a wide range of issues concerning transparency, open governance and the integrity of

establishments.

“The index used different variables and sub-variables to monitor and assess MDAs and other public institutions in accordance with relevant laws that ensure the strengthening of anti-corruption practices.

“Given the impact of citizens’ access to accurate and timely information on strengthening democracy, with the 2021 Index, our research has underscored this by establishing the extent of disclosure by government institutions. vital information through websites and portals.

“Following the presentation of the results, our research indicates that most MDAs need more guidance on methodology and sufficient time for implementation before the next assessment begins.

“The methodology we present today serves as a comprehensive guide for all MDAs on how to ensure adherence to the relevant guiding principles that form the foundation of the research.

“Like the previous year, we draw our 2022 assessment from local and international guiding principles,” he said.

Yakubu said the guiding principles include the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Public Procurement Act 2007, Freedom of Information Act 2011.

Others are the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007; principles of the federal character; State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability, Framework and Guidelines for the Use of Social Media Platform in Public Institutions, 2019 and Discriminations Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.

He said that internally the center has also adopted guiding principles such as the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, 2004; Open Government Partnership; African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, 2006 and Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and others.

According to Yakubu, it should be noted that the TII methodology has been fully evaluated and validated by the Professional Statistician Society of Nigeria (PSSN) and the Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA).

He therefore ensured the credibility of the methodology and conclusions of the center to ensure transparency in governance, and urged all stakeholders to engage with the manual to build capacity on the evaluation method.

He also called on the media to leverage their media tools for the continued promotion of projects like the TII to enhance accountability and transparency for good governance.

The Center’s Research Director, Mukhtar Abdulhameed, gave an overview of the usefulness of the Integrity Index Methodology Manual from chapter one to the final chapter.