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Stakeholders have lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for accepting the second review of the performance of government at all levels and gets feedback from the public under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
The stakeholders gave the commendation in Lafia, Nasarawa State at the North-Central town hall meeting for the validation exercise of the country self-assessment report of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Speaking at the town hall meeting, Mr Ferdinand Atendeko, Chief of Staff/ Coordinator for the Nigeria Second Review of APRM commended the President for granting approval for the exercise to be carried out in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
According to him, APRM was established in 2003 by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) as an instrument for AU Member States to voluntarily self-monitor their governance performance.
“APRM is a voluntary arrangement amongst African states to systematically assess and review governance at Head of State peer level in order to promote political stability, accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration, economic growth and sustainable development.
“By acceding to the APRM, Member States agree to independently review their compliance with African and international governance commitments.
Performance and progress are measured in four thematic areas which includes; democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance and socio-economic development.,” he added.
He added that Nigeria is the fourth country in African that began the second review and the first in West Africa.
He therefore lauded the composing of the participants from the six states of the North-Central and urged them to freely expressed how they fill about governance in the state and the country with a view of the necessary steps to be taken to improve the system.
On her part, Princess Gloria Akobundu, Coordinator/Chief Executive AUDA-NEPAD of the country review mission team, expressed gratitude to all those who made the second review exercise possible expecially the president.
Akobundu who was represented at the occasion by Adefikin Ademola, said the exercise aimed at fostering adoption of policies, standards and practice to ensure political stability, high economic growth, accreditated regional and continental integration among others.
She therefore said that APRM has led to innumerable achievements in Nigeria since it was acceded to in 2003 and the country would benefit from the second review.
In his goodwill message, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State represented by his deputy, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, lauded the President for the political will to allow the performance of the government to be evaluated in line with global best practices.
The governor has also commended the CEO of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, for the tremendous effort she has put into this process by putting up structures from the national, state as well as the Local Government Levels.
He noted that the structures would ensures that the process is reflective of the views of the Nigerian populace.
Governor Sule said the exercise was aimed at entrenching good governance, transparency, accountability, integrity, respect for human-rights and the promotion of the rule-of-law.
“This voluntary but unique process will foster peace, regional and continental integration as it is developed and conducted by African countries, thus allowing participating countries to share best practices that will lead to better policies and overall growth and development of the continent,” he added.
He therefore pledged the total support of his administration to ensure that the exercise succeed in the overall development of the country.
MoneyCentral recalls that Nigeria’s first peer review was conducted in 2008.
MoneyCentral also reports that the town hall meeting had in attendance representatives from Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Kogi States as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.