• Applauds UNDP’s climate security initiative for NW
By Sunday
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has directed all the government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to adopt the Treasury Single Account (TSA), for all their transactions, henceforth.
This directive was contained in a circular titled, “Treasury Single Account Direction Notice 2023,” which the Governor personally signed yesterday.
He also directed the state Accountant-General (AG) to prescribe the framework within which the MDAs shall conduct their bank/cash management under the TSA.
“The Commissioner for Finance, Accountant General and the Auditor General shall ensure compliance to this direction,” he said.
According to the Governor’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, the directive was in accordance with the powers conferred on the Governor by the provisions of Section 5(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and all other powers enabling him in that regard.
Part of the circular read: “This notice may be cited as Treasury Single Account direction notice and shall be deemed to have come into force on the third day of July 2023.
“Without prejudice to Section 120 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), all revenues and monies accruing and forming the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), including funds from the Excess Crude Account, grants or donations to Katsina State, shall be paid into a unified account to be referred to as Treasury Single Account, out of which all expenditures incurred or approved to be incurred shall be defrayed or paid.”
However, the Governor has equally commended the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP’s) Climate Security Initiative for North-West Nigeria.
The UN agency officially launched the prevention facility for the Northwestern states yesterday at the UN House in Abuja.
The Northwest prevention facility is an initiative of the UNDP, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Embassy of Norway. According to the UNDP Resident Representative, Mohammed Yahya, the initiative is aimed at supporting Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara States to catalyze timely and collaborative state-led prevention efforts. The facility aims to strengthen the security response to insecurity in the Northwest by utilizing a climate action and sustainable livelihoods approach to conflict prevention for the front-line states.
The Governor thanked the UNDP for their tremendous support, even as he emphasised the importance of development partners in implementing strategic policies efficiently to maximize impacts for the people. He also stressed the significance of regional cooperation, especially in combating insecurity. He expressed satisfaction with the UNDP’s recognition of the Northwest’s needs, believing that all the governors are equally committed to using this opportunity to promote peace and prosperity in their respective states.
He also expressed gratitude for the support from the UN Climate Security Mechanism, which seeks to understand and address the linkages between climate change, peace, and security. He highlighted the global crisis of climate change, where innocent people are affected by forces beyond their control. “In the Northwest region, increasing desertification has adversely affected agricultural and livestock productivity. This has a significant impact on the livelihoods of the population, with 85 percent relying on agriculture for survival. Conflicts between herders and farmers arise due to livestock travelling greater distances to graze on farmlands, resulting in lower farm yields, reduced incomes, and potential crimes and conflicts.”
The Governor reiterated the government’s commitment to making necessary investments towards sustainable productivity, including improving irrigation systems, providing drought-resistant seeds and fertilizers to farmers, and developing the agricultural and livestock value chains for added value and employment creation.
He stressed that the effects of climate change were further exacerbated by banditry and other forms of insecurity, leading to a vicious cycle of low productivity and instability in the region. He emphasized the importance of applying socioeconomic justice to bring peace and prosperity to the region. Effective communication and dispute resolution through traditional and religious institutions were highlighted as crucial for long-term success.