Buni’s transparency, accountability earn Yobe N20bn World Bank grant — Official

By Bala Dauda , Damaturu

The fiscal transparency and accountability of Gov Mai Mala Buni-led administration has earned Yobe World Bank’s grant of over N20 billion from 2020 to 2022.

This is contained in a statement by Buni’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA), Digital & Communications, Mr Yusuf Ali, in Damaturu on Wednesday.

Ali quoted the state Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Musa Mustapha, as saying that the grant followed the state’s Impressive performance under the State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme.

Mustapha said the funds were utilised in infrastructural development and social services that had direct bearing to the lives of the people of the state.

“The SFTAS is a programme by the World Bank and Federal Government of Nigeria to deepen transparency in budgeting processes for qualified states.

“The SFTAS consists of different requirements in form of Disbursement Link Indicators (DLIs), which are assigned tasks that the World Bank designed for institutions, as well as states that are qualified to participate in Budgeting and Budgetary Performance Indicators.

“The second component is Disbursement Linked Results, which World Bank’s Independent Verification Assessors use as yardsticks to assess institutions and states’ performance compliance in relation to DLI’s performance evaluation.

“The synopsis of the SFTAS is predicated on Performance for Results. This means that states can earn financial grant reward after performance in all indicators of budgetary requirements; then World Bank rewards the state based on results of its efforts,” he said.

The commissioner noted that consistent budget cycle of the state, entrenchment of due process and inclusiveness by the administration played a crucial role in achieving the feat.

“ The state earned the grants based on the DLIs that are successfully achieved within the budget cycle and due process.

“It is gratifying and a matter of particular importance to note that Yobe has won the Overall Top Performer Awards on SFTAS.

“ Its performance in all Disbursement Link Indicators won the overall best state for the ‘Top Performer Award’. The Award was presented by Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning recently in Abuja,” Mustapha said.

The commissioner added that, “It is on record, the Gov. Buni’s government is the only administration that has accomplished this feat through publication of its budget, entrenching due process and ensuring public expenditures in accordance to World Bank’s requirements.

He said the state would continue to run an accountable and transparent government, adding that it was working assiduously to earn a 2023 grant in the same capacity from the bank.