From Mu’awiya Bala Idris, Katsina
A non-governmental organisation, the Citizen Participation Against Corruption Initiative, has introduced an accountability forum aimed at assessing the performance of elected and appointed public office holders in Katsina State.
The forum, which was flagged off on Thursday, requires elected and appointed officials to appear before representatives of civil society organisations, members of the electorate and journalists to account for their stewardship.
Speaking at the opening of the forum held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat in Katsina, the National Chairman of the organisation, Comrade Dauda Bishir Sabuwar Unguwa, said the initiative was designed to promote transparency and accountability in governance.
According to him, the forum would provide an opportunity for citizens and relevant stakeholders to assess the performance of public office holders managing ministries, departments and agencies.
“As we approach the 2027 general elections, there is a need to look back and assess the performance of elected officials to determine whether they have met the expectations of the electorate,” Sabuwar Unguwa said.
He added that the initiative would also serve as a mechanism to ensure that public funds were judiciously utilised by government appointees heading various ministries and departments.
The chairman stressed that the accountability forum, which he described as the first of its kind in the history of Katsina State, was not targeted at witch-hunting or favouring any politician ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We are not card-carrying members of any political party, and no politician sponsored us. Our objective is to promote accountability in the management of public funds,” he said.
Sabuwar Unguwa explained that participants at the forum would be allowed to ask questions, make observations, suggest corrections and assess the performance of any elected or appointed official appearing before the panel.
Earlier, while appearing before the forum, the Katsina State Coordinator of the Community Development Project, Dr. Kamaluddeen, gave an overview of the functions of his office and outlined achievements recorded in the last two and a half years.
Represented by Salisu Muhammad, Dr. Kamaluddeen commended participants for their contributions and assured that the inputs and observations raised at the forum would be utilised to improve the performance of his office.