By Princess Funsho Sumanu
The Kogi State Fiscal Responsibility Commission commenced its statewide sensitisation and compliance drive on the implementation of the Kogi State Fiscal Responsibility Law 2026 on Thursday with a strategic visit to the Ministry of Education, aimed at deepening fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The delegation, led by the Director of Policy and Strategy, Mallam Abubakar Taminu Musa, included the Commission Secretary, Barr. Ayo Emmanuel; the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Bello Joseph; and the Head of Media Strategy, Princess Funsho Sumanu, Public Relations Officer
The team was received by Hajia Maryam Y. Mohammed, the Director of Administration at the Ministry of Education, alongside senior management staff from the ministry.
Addressing the management of the ministry, Mallam Abubakar Taminu Musa explained that the visit was aimed at sensitising Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the provisions of the recently reviewed Kogi State Fiscal Responsibility Law 2026, while also carrying out a verification exercise to assess the level of compliance by public institutions.
He noted that although the Commission had existed in law, it had remained largely inactive for some time, resulting in limited awareness of its statutory responsibilities amongst many MDAs.
According to him, the recent review of the law has repositioned the Commission to effectively promote fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability in the management and publication of resources across the state.
He stressed that ignorance of the law is not an excuse, underscoring the importance of ensuring that all government institutions are adequately informed about their obligations under the legislation.
Mallam Musa clarified that the Commission’s engagement with MDAs was not intended as a witch-hunt but a collaborative effort to strengthen institutional compliance with established fiscal standards.
He disclosed that the reviewed law would soon be formally launched by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, after which copies would be distributed to stakeholders across the state to facilitate wider understanding and implementation.
He added that the Commission had requested relevant documents from the ministry to aid its verification exercise and better understand its statutory responsibilities in relation to fiscal accountability.
Responding on behalf of the Ministry of Education, the Director of Administration, Hajia Maryam Y. Mohammed, commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for making transparency and accountability key priorities of his administration.
She pledged the Ministry’s full cooperation with the Commission and assured the delegation of the Ministry’s readiness to provide all necessary support for the successful implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Law.
Hajia Mohammed also highlighted the statutory responsibilities of the Ministry of Education, which include policy formulation and implementation for basic, secondary, technical and tertiary education; development, monitoring and evaluation of the education sector; registration, approval and regulation of private educational institutions; maintenance of educational standards through school inspection and accreditation; management of internal and external examinations, including Common Entrance, BECE, Mock JAMB and other public examinations; as well as the domestication and implementation of educational policies aimed at improving service delivery.
The sensitisation exercise forms part of the Commission’s statewide engagement with Ministries, Departments and Agencies to promote strict adherence to the provisions of the Kogi State Fiscal Responsibility Law 2026, strengthen institutional governance and entrench accountability in the management of public finances in line with the developmental agenda of the Ododo administration
