BudgIT, a non-governmental organisation, has clarified that its recent evaluation of Sokoto State’s fiscal transparency was not an attack on Governor Dr. Ahmed Aliyu’s administration but a call for proactive disclosure of budgetary and financial information as a cornerstone of good governance.
The State Fiscal Transparency League (SFTL) Report, derived from the World Bank’s State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) Program, assessed Sokoto State’s fiscal practices in Q3 2024.
The state ranked 36th, signaling significant gaps in fiscal transparency. While Sokoto excelled with perfect scores in areas such as the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Approved Budget, it struggled with revenue reporting, audit transparency, and e-procurement systems. BudgIT noted that the lack of data availability undermines the government’s commitment to its social contract with citizens.
Sokoto State has a history of commendable fiscal governance, having earned three World Bank Awards of Excellence for exemplary SFTAS implementation, which brought in $22 million in grants between 2019 and 2020.
These achievements highlight the state’s capacity for transparency reforms, but BudgIT stressed the importance of sustaining progress.
“Resting on past laurels is not enough,” BudgIT said, emphasizing the role of the quarterly SFTL analysis in maintaining the momentum of transparency reforms.
The organisation praised other states demonstrating consistent commitment to fiscal openness and encouraged Sokoto State to follow suit.
Addressing criticism in some national dailies, BudgIT rejected claims aimed at discrediting its integrity.
The organisation reaffirmed its readiness to provide technical support to Sokoto State, ensuring the reforms achieved under SFTAS are preserved and citizens remain empowered.
“Our goal is to work collaboratively with all state governments to uphold transparency and accountability,” BudgIT said.
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