FROM YENOGOA TO TBILISI ANEEJ FLIES OGP FLAG
CONTEXT
This inception meeting in Yenogao Bayelsa State, Nigeria was convened 16th July 2018 for the purpose of stepping down Open Government Partnership, OGP, for Bayelsa state in accordance with the mandate of the Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice, ANEEJ, as co-chair of the National Action Working Group on Anti-Corruption. The meeting took place with the active collaboration of the Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organisations Forum, BANGOF.
It had in attendance stakeholders from the public and private sectors, community leaders/chiefs, lawmakers and representatives of the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Bayelsa State, together with a representative of the Commissioner for Budget and Economic planning.
In an opening address (read on his behalf by Communications manager Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku) ANEEJ executive director, the Rev David Ugolor said that Bayelsa is a forward-looking state which deserves to be signed-on to the OGP at subnational level.
Communications manager ANEEJ in a presentation, Taking OGP to Subnational level – the Journey TAKING OGP TO SUBNATIONAL LEVEL highlighted formal procedures for subscription by sub-national governments.
There were presentations after syndicate sessions on the Open Government Partnership with the following sub themes: independent dialogue mechanism for Bayelsa state, the role of CSOs in the drafting of the Bayelsa State Action Plan, SAP, and lapses in the budgetary processes in Bayelsa.
The meeting produced a communique thus: Bayelsa Communique
While the ANEEJ cum BANGOF Bayelsa sub-national meeting was on, ANEEJ executive director, the Rev David Ugolor was on hand at the International forum of the 5th OGP meeting in Tlibisi, Geogia.
While there as an invited speaker, the Rev Ugolor is billed to contribute a perspective on how he has engaged on BOT and its progress in Nigeria. He will also be offering some reflection on the interface of global and national efforts and on the role of OGP. Other invited speakers include: Robin Hodess, Director, Governance and Transparency, The B Team, Moderator, Maira Martini, Transparency International, (Speaker), Pak Yanuar, Government of Indonesia, (Speaker), Zosia Sztykowski, OpenOwnership, (Speaker), Erica Westenberg, NRGI, Respondent and James Swenson, Thomsen Reuters, (Respondent).
In his presentation titled Perspective on BOT, the Rev David Ugolor will discuss the FATF, ANEEJ as co-chair of the OGP Nigeria Anti-Corruption Working group in the areas of asset recovery, Beneficial ownership of Registered companies in Nigeria and how ANEEJ works to sync activities of the Anti-corruption Agencies in Nigeria. He will highlight progress made in these areas in Nigeria.
