By Gloria Ikibah
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Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Bamidele Salam, has said that that corruption, fiscal recklessness, and weak governance structures cannot be solved by government alone but with honest involvement of citizens.
Rep. Salam who stated this at the closing Gala of the National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance in Abuja organised by the Public Accounts Committees of the Senate and House, on Thursday, in Abuja, urged Nigerians to recommit to the principles of accountability, transparency, and strict adherence to rules and regulations in public service.
“If we truly want a greater Nigeria, the responsibility lies with every one of us. I doubt if there’s anyone who can claim absolute freedom from the obligations and challenges we’ve discussed in the last few days,” he said.
The Chairman also called on all participants and stakeholders to take home from the conference a renewed sense of duty and lclear understanding that governance reform must begin with individual and institutional integrity.
According to him, the discussions held over the previous days is timely and crucial in charting a new course for public sector efficiency and fiscal accountability.
Rep. Salam proposed that the conference be institutionalised as an annual event, but said the final decision would be made after deliberation by both chambers of the National Assembly.
“As we return to our various destinations, let us take home the message that it is time for a new breath of fresh air in our public service. That includes a renewed commitment to rules, regulations, and best practices in all that we do.
“Many have suggested that this should become an annual event. Once the outcomes of this conference are reviewed, we will take an informed decision on the way forward,” he said.
Also, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmed Wadada, called on Nigerians to rise above divisive sentiments and collectively uphold the principles of transparency, responsibility, and national unity in the ongoing effort to reform public governance.
Wadada emphasised that the responsibility of building a less corrupt and more accountable Nigeria rests on all citizens, not just public officials.
“The responsibility of keeping Nigeria either entirely corrupt-free or minimally corrupt lies on all of us. It is a shared duty that must transcend ethnic, religious, or regional affiliations,” he said.
He decried the tendency of some citizens to inject sentiments into issues of national importance, especially in public service and policymaking.
The Senator further stated that while Nigerians often live peacefully together without considering their differences in social settings, they revert to ethnic and religious biases when it comes to national decision-making and accountability.
“None of us thinks about our neighbor’s religion or ethnicity when we sit down to eat together. But when it comes to the discharge of official duties, sentiments begin to interfere, and that should not be”, he cautioned.
Wadada also warned that Nigeria would not be able to fully harness its vast potential unless such “primordial and unnecessary sentiments” are extinguished.
The lawmaker further urged participants to take time to read and understand the various papers and policy documents presented at the conference so that they can contribute meaningfully to ongoing governance conversations and reforms.
