Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Mrs. Ene Obi, has called for a gender responsive public service in Nigeria with the aim of driving impact and attaining gender equality.
Mrs. Ene Obi made the call during a training of media practitioners on Public Finance Management Systems organized by ActionAid Nigeria in Abuja.
Mrs. Obi also highlighted the critical roles of journalist in driving a gender responsive public service thereby urging the media to raise the bar of awareness and be the voices of the masses while holding government accountable.
Mrs. Obi also urged political office holders to prioritize the welfare of the masses rather than selfish acquisition of public wealth, noting that the signs of agitations and violence across the country may further degenerate if not urgently addressed.
Corroborating her, Mr. Keneth Okoineme, P4C National Advisor, noted that, “where public services are not gender responsive the burden of existence is increased, inequality exacerbated and poor and excluded face a major barrier of enjoying their rights.”
Okoineme also noted that for public services to address both practical and strategic needs, “it must be publicly funded, publicly delivered and universal, gender equitable and inclusive, focused on quality and in line with human rights frameworks.”
While Speaking on Tax Justice and Resource Mobilization in Nigeria, Mr. Celestine Okwudili, Manager, Governance Programme, ActionAid Nigeria, noted that the principles of a good tax system must be focused on “equity, certainty, simplicity, diversity, flexibility and convenience”
Okwudili who noted that fair taxation is an opportunity to fund gender responsive public services however raised concerns on “increasing tax evasion and avoidance, increasing tax incentives, no presumptive framework for informal economy, and weak monitoring and evaluation.”