Text of Press Conference
PARLIAMENTARIANS AND THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: THE KADUNA DECLARATION
The House of Representatives Committee on the MDGs Collaborated with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs and the Center for Democracy and Development to organize a three-day retreat at Asaa Pyramid Hotel Kaduna from 14 -17 September 2007. The retreat, among other things, examined the present position of Nigeria on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and what needs to be done for the country to meet the goals in 2015. Participants were drawn from the relevant committees of the National Assembly, including the newly inaugurated Committee on the MDGs, civil society organizations from the six-geo-political zones, the academia and relevant international development partners. The retreat was supported by the European Union. The Executive Governor of Kaduna State- Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo and his Deputy , Mr Patrick Yakowa gave unalloyed support for the retreat.
The retreat was convened in the light of concerns about the increasing incidence of extreme poverty in the country. Poverty not only dehumanizes but also makes sustainable development impossible. Within the context of the MDGs, eradication of poverty is not only a goal, but also a critical requirement for the achievement of other MDGs goals; such as those relating to health, education, gender and environment. The meeting therefore afforded participants an opportunity to also reflect on the crisis of poverty in the country.
Parliamentarians expressed appreciation to CDD and EU for facilitating the retreat.
Observations
• The meeting noted that poverty eradication requires the transformation of the Nigerian economy towards the path of sustainable industrialization that is anchored on job creation and elimination of social inequalities. This is not possible within the present context of insufficient public investment in the country. Over the years, there seems to have been a deliberate and continuing curtailment of public expenditure on social services such as education and health. Whereas UNESCO has set the benchmark that developing countries like Nigeria need to allocate 25% of their national budget on education, Nigeria budgets between 10-12% only. Similarly whereas WHO recommends that 15% of national budget should be allocated to health, the figure in the last decade has been less than 10%. This is further worsened by the fact that actual release from the budget has been far less than the allocation. Additionally, effective utilization of the little that gets released is hampered by endemic corruption in the country;
• The meeting observed that the MDGs, a global initiative conceived by world leaders in 2000 to redress the socio-economic development problems in poor countries of the world, are not foreign. The aspirations of the goals are clearly spelt out in chapter two of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. These aspirations have also now been incorporated in NEEDS, SEEDS, and LEEDS. It however noted that the lack of political will to make these goals justiciable and fully implemented remains a challenge. This lack of commitment remain a clog in the wheel of Nigeria’s economic development plan and will further hamper the accomplishment of the MDGs by 2015;
• The meeting also noted that from available reports and data, Nigeria has the possibility of achieving only three out of the eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015: the Universal Primary Education, Environmental Stability and Global partnerships. Achieving the remaining five goals therefore remains a fundamental challenge;
• The meeting observed that the process leading up to NEEDS I and now NEEDSII was not sufficiently participatory and the involvement of the National Assembly was very low. This has impacted negatively on the ownership and impact of the documents.
• The meeting further observed that the achievement of MDGS is also critically linked to availability of power supply that is needed for flourishing of businesses and enterprises by Nigerians professional technicians and artisans, which regular power supply to operate, make income and overcome poverty in their families. Unfortunately, the billions of Naira devoted to energy reform during the last administration have yielded no significant results.
• Recognising that corruption has been a major clog in the wheel of Nigeria’s development and commending the efforts of the government to put in place different institutional and legal frameworks geared towards corruption eradication, the meeting noted with concern, the current conspiracy by anti-democratic forces to weaken the anti-corruption programme of the Federal government and called on the Federal government to take the campaign beyond mere window-dressing. This is against the backdrop that the present state of corruption in Nigeria, if left to continue unabated would make the achievement of the MDGs by 2015 impossible.
• While the ongoing collaboration between civil society, international development partners and the National Assembly is welcome, the National Assembly needs to step up efforts to enable laws and socio-economic policies that will facilitate the strengthening of the private sector and create an enabling environment for foreign investments.
• The meeting strongly expressed condemnation on the recent Inauguration of a steering Committee on Poverty , Illiteracy and Disease in Africa by the UN Secretary General without the presence of any African Leader or representative. Such a committee is already dead on arrival.
• For effective economic development planning to take place in Nigeria, accurate and timely statistical figures including gender disaggregated data, must be in place for the National Planning Commission to be effective and efficient in its work.
• Recognising that gender is a cross-cutting issue in the MDGs and that gender equality and women’s empowerment are major strategies towards the attainment of the MDGs, the meeting noted that the non domestication of CEDAW and the failure to pass gender based bills before the National Assembly Nigeria’s aspiration of achieving the MDGs in by 2015 may not be feasible.
• The meeting noted also the non-implementation and non-domestication of the Child’s Rights Act which was passed by the National Assembly in 2003 and the failure of most states to pass similar laws are hampering the achievement of the MDGs.
• The retreat further recognized that the Conditional Grants Scheme introduced by the FGN in the 2007 Debt Relief Gains(DRG) appropriation will lead to strengthening intergovernmental collaboration whereby states and local governments can apply for funding on specific projects in primary healthcare, rural water supply, rural electrification and education. Such projects must be focused on achieving the MDGs.
The meeting resolved that
1. Nigeria can meet the eight MDGs in 2015 if the federal, state and local governments are committed to the full implementation of NEEDS, SEEDS and LEEDS respectively.
2. The National Assembly must step up its oversight roles on policies and programmes that will make Nigeria to meet the MDGs.
3. For Nigeria to accelerate the achievement of the MDGs, there is urgent need for co-operation and collaboration among the federal, state and local governments in the design, harmonization and implementation of pro poor policies.
4. While commending the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his commitment and affirmation to the achievement of the MDGs through the appointment of a Senior Special Assistant on MDGs, the meeting also commended the National Assembly for creating a special committee on the MDGs. The retreat called for government commitment to its economic development frameworks at national, state and local government levels and genuine support for the office of the MDGs to do its work effectively and efficiently.
5. To correct the anomalies noted above, the 1999 Nigerian Constitution which was unanimously acknowledged to be fundamentally defective on socio-economic rights and gender provisions must be amended as a matter of urgency, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and all gender based bills before the National Assembly should be passed. Parliament should also promote the domestication of the Child’s Rights Act at the state level.
6. In appropriating the budget, the Parliament should ensure that planning targets are matched with funding and capacity.
7. The role of civil society organizations as watchdog on government policies and programmes should be encouraged by the government. The civil society must arise not only to analyze budgets and other economic development policies to promote pro-poor programmes but begin to work towards producing a shadow report on the state of Nigeria on MDGs and the implementation of budgets in the country
8. There is the need for greater consultation and collaboration between the different arms and levels of government on the hand one, and between governments and civil society on the other
9. There is the need for a national perspective plan (not a Federal plan) that links the PRSP (NEEDS-II) and 20-2020 targets to the 7-Point Agenda and integrates the MDGs into the perspective plan. This should be done through strategic partnerships and collaboration among the relevant stakeholders.
10. The Retreat urged development partners to engage more with the Legislature and Civil Society, especially in supporting initiatives that will accelerate the achievement of MDGs
11. The retreat expressed the need for donor harmonization and scaled-up funding to address the huge funding gaps rather than the ‘piloting’ process that obtains which has little impact.
12. Acknowledging that maternal health is dependent on the empowerment of women, Parliamentarians were called upon to support the passage of the Health Reform Bill (National Primary Healthcare fund) and ensure that appropriate allocations are made towards full implementation of the free maternal health care policy announced by the out gone President.
13. Following the example of Kaduna State which has set up an MDG Committee headed by the Executive Governor, with all relevant ministries as members, other states and all local governments are called upon to set up such offices or committees at their respective levels.
14. Opportunities for synergizing between CSO, Parliament and Institutions of the Executive such as MDGs office are fundamental and such joint strategizing must continue. Parliament should ensure that benchmarks and targets that are clear and unambiguous are developed for all public projects and programs in order to ensure an effectiveness of its oversight function.
15. The oversight role of the Parliament is very important; and Parliament particularly the House Committee on MDGs must develop its capacity in a technical and institutional sense, through among other things, training and exchange visits, to be able to do its job effectively and efficiently.
16. There is the need for the Federal Government should partner and collaborate with the states and local governments in order to deepen the process of Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTEF &MTSS) to ensure sustainable National economic development
17. The meeting further urged that in order to ensure pooling of resources and foster ownership as well as ensure sustainability there is the need to involve the private sector, civil society and international development partners in initiatives and policies aimed at eradicating poverty and achievement the MDGs
Hon. Saudatu Sani
Chair, Committee on MDGs
Federal House of Representatives
Dr Jibrin Ibrahim
Director, Center for Democracy and Development
News