Anambra MDAs hoard data, Statistics Bureau cries out

A non-governmental organization (NGO) with special focus on human rights education for improved democratic governance and access to basic social services under the aegis of the Civil Rights Concern,(CRC) working in partnership with Christian Aid (CA) Nigeria with support from the UK-AID on Evidence and Collaboration for Inclusive Development(ECID) project in Anambra State has observed that certain Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDA) in Anambra state do keep away valuable reports and statistical data necessary for general strategic planning in the state.

This was revealed yesterday at an interactive briefing of the state’s planning officers and other key stakeholders including the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) and the Media on ECID in Anambra state held at the State secretariat, Awka.

According to a report from the state’s Bureau of Statistics, the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Education were the greatest culprits in denying the bureau of the data generated from the offices.

The ugly trend has therefore negatively affected the overall data for planning and budgeting purposes in the state.

It also makes it impossible for researchers, other ancillary agencies of government as well as external users and visitors to the state’s Internet portal to have a reliable and comprehensive data about the state.

The State Coordinator of CRC, Mr Okey Onyeka in his opening remarks pointed out pointed out that government cannot be very effective unless the citizens take up their own responsibilities in governance, to hold the government/duty bearers to account, to discharge their constitutional responsibilities.

He noted that the target groups of the project (Evidence Collaboration/Inclusive Development and Validation of Baseline Survey/Findings) were the Adolescents, Rural Poor Women and People with Disabilities especially.

The data validation was therefore to enable the Stakeholders and those involved in the Key Informant Interviews and perception surveys confirm that the findings of the baseline are the views they expressed during the survey.

It equally has the objective of establishing the relatedness of the baseline findings to policies, programmes and activities of the key agencies of government in the State and to sensitize the stakeholders on the COVID – 19 preventive measures to stop the spread of the virus in the State.

Mr Onyeka pointed out that the project was focused largely on some of the marginalized groups in some of the 21 Local Government Areas of the State in terms of access to services, stigmatization, decision making and livelihoods matters.

He harped on the need for improved service delivery especially to the target groups on issues raised at the State, national, regional and global levels of discourse; agreed, signed and adopted in many conventions that Nigeria participated in.

The project was therefore an effort to see how far the agreements are being implemented in the State to ‘leave no one behind’ and to improve inclusion, participation and representative decision making at all levels of government as targeted by Sustainable Development Goals(SDG)16.7

The participants observed that:

• The baseline findings as presented in respect of the challenges in accessing services, stigmatization, decision making and livelihoods matters were the issues they raised during the survey.
• Issues of marginalization of the target groups at decision making platforms are real and should be addressed; equally of note is the stigma that they live with and challenges in earning a living which have made many of the target groups look up to others for their needs.
• The need to improve delivery of services in the State through the use of data in programming development for everyone and especially the target groups was considered very urgent.
• The current e-learning taking place in the State and globally especially for school children may be difficult for many parents and guardians in the State and target local government areas to invest in, because of the poverty levels and absence of the basic infrastructures to make this happen, such as light, network, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) gadgets that the stakeholders in These communities may not be able to afford.
• The gap in data connectivity and access between the MDAs and the State’s Bureau of Statistics that is the State data repository needs to be addressed, such that access and confirmed data are always available to all stakeholders who need some relevant data on government work in the State.
• There are laws made by the State concerning Child Rights, Violence against Persons Prohibition and People with Disabilities that are yet to be fully implemented to improve services to the target groups.
• Key government agencies responsible for information sharing in the State have not been very effective through their various web sites in information sharing to the public.
• Some of the key achievements of the State government as in community choose your projects should be more effectively implemented to improve the wellbeing of community people as government is unlikely to invest directly in those areas that community people are undertaking but are critical in its impact on community governance arrangements.
• The government implementation of the COVID – 19 measures in the State has made progress but need to be reappraised in the light of some observed realities.
• The palliative measures being undertaken by the State should be reviewed to ascertain its real effect with regards to reaching the target audience.

Consequently it was therefore recommended that:

1. Citizens should undertake their responsibilities and play their roles in governance for better performance.
2. The validated data should be used by government agencies in planning their programmes for improved delivery of services especially to target groups.
3. Data sharing through on-line access among MDAs and citizens should be improved to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks in government and enabling citizens undertake their responsibility in governance.
4. The government at all levels should show more accountability and transparency in managing the issues of COVID -19 to show the citizens, the sick being driven into the COVID -19 management centres, the activities at the quarantine centres and the discharged being taking out of the centres,as have been noted in some communities that many do not believe that COVID – 19 really exists merely because they have never seen anybody who was sick of the infection or any who died of the virus.
5. There should be testing and improved checking at the State’s borders to stop those infected from coming into the State.
6. Lawyers and development workers should be included among the essential service workers because of the nature of their works.
7. The culture of our people does not encourage burying people outside their community; those who are taking their dead home
   should thus be allowed to come into the State after they were properly checked to ensure that they do not have the virus and if found to be infected, should be taken straight to quarantine centres.
8. That the government functionaries should show good example by observing the preventive measures put in place by the government by wearing preventive face masks, maintaining social and keeping physical distancing as well as avoiding crowded gatherings.
9. Public transporters should respect the physical distancing measures as community spread of the virus has been observed to be increasing in the State and the country.
10. People with disabilities should ensure that physical distancing is always observed.
11. The National Orientation Agency(NOA) in the State should be supported to improve community education and understanding of Covid-19 virus as the dangers of community spread is very much with us.
12. Markets, community associations and professional groups should improve education among their members to take responsibility so as to stop the spread of the virus in the State.
13. Government officers responsible for implementing the measures against the spread of the virus should improve on their effort to check the spread and remind people to observe all the necessary preventive measures put in place by the federal and state governments.

From Chuks Collins, Awka