IMO STATE WAS THE FIRST TO ADOPT THE OGP PRINCIPLES…

Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, the Chief of Staff, Imo State Government of Nigeria declared the above when representatives of the Open Government Partnerships (OGP) team paid an advocacy visit to the Imo State Government House, Owerri, recently.

According to him, “His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha on assumption of office in 2011 introduced policies that are OGP compliant, even before the OGP itself became popular around the world.

Without any reference to the OGP, Owelle Rochas Okorocha in 2011 established the 4th tier of government, called the Community Government Council (CGC), Free Education policy at all levels, the Freedom Square, initiated a long term development framework as in the 4 year budget plan of 2011 – 2015, created more autonomous communities among other such policies in order to offer Imo people, a more transparent and inclusive administration.

All these he put in place in 2011, ever before the Federal Government under the administration of President Muhammad Buhari signed up for the Open Government Partnership (OGP) as the 70th country to do so in July, 2016″.

Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, thereafter apologized for any disappointments the OGP team may have encountered in the past while trying to engage the Imo State Government and commended his SA on Job Creation and Employment, Remy Chukwunyere for facilitating the all important meeting.

The high point of the advocacy meeting led by the Mr. Uchenna Arisukwu, Co-Chair of the Citizens Engagement Working Group from the OGP National Secretariat was the expression of interest by the Imo State Government to sign up officially to the OGP and the appointment of Remy Chukwunyere as the OGP Focal Person in the state, to fast track the process without any further delay.

Delegates from the OGP Southeast working groups and civil society representatives from Imo State were part of this history making event, which they all described as the best thing to happen to Imo state as it will open up the state for more donor funded projects and foreign investments, to complement the infrastructure and human capacity development initiatives of the state government.

To God be all the glory as Imo is getting better every day!