Group raises alarm over executive powers and transparency issues in Akwa Ibom fiscal bill

A civil society group, Policy Alert, has urged the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to change some parts of the proposed fiscal responsibility bill. They warn that certain sections might weaken legislative oversight, limit public accountability, and give too much power to the executive branch of government.

On 2 June, the fiscal responsibility bill was introduced to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, along with 11 other executive bills. The bill aims to repeal the current law known as Volume III, Cap 56 of the Laws of Akwa Ibom State 2022. It passed its second reading on 9 June and was sent to the House of Assembly Committee on Appropriation and Finance the same day.

During a public hearing on the bill on 17 June, Policy Alert praised lawmakers for trying to update the state’s fiscal governance framework. But they warned that many parts of the bill need serious changes to meet its goals.

Policy Alert stated that the bill is a chance to improve fiscal discipline, transparency, and responsible management of public resources. However, they said some parts could weaken democratic checks and balances.

“The Fiscal Responsibility Law should not just control public finance; it should strengthen the social contract between government and citizens by ensuring transparency, allowing public involvement, protecting oversight bodies, and making sure decisions on public resources follow democratic checks and balances,” the group said.

One major worry is about Section 36 of the bill, which allows the governor to approve budget changes. Policy Alert believes this gives the executive too much power to change spending priorities set by the legislature without enough oversight.

The group urged lawmakers to set strict limits on these powers, require legislative approval for major reallocation, and demand public disclosure of approved budget changes.

They also criticized Section 39(2), which talks about quarterly budget implementation reports. The group said this section focuses on deadlines but does not specify how detailed the reports should be.

Policy Alert pointed out that government agencies could follow the law by publishing short summary reports that do not give enough information about project implementation, procurement activities, or sector performance.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that under Governor Umo Eno, Akwa Ibom State has moved from fiscal transparency to secrecy. This change started with the publication of summarized budget performance reports since the first quarter of 2025.

“This bill fixes a clock problem but leaves a content problem unsolved,” Policy Alert said.

They recommended mandatory disclosures at the project level, easy-to-understand budget performance reports, and penalties for agencies that do not meet reporting standards.

Despite their concerns, Policy Alert recognized some parts of the bill as progressive and worthy of keeping. For example, Section 53(5) ensures citizens’ right to access fiscal information and stops officials from using secrecy laws to block access to public financial records.

The organization also supported Section 58(1), which allows any Akwa Ibom indigene to challenge law violations in court without needing to prove personal injury or special interest.

Other provisions praised include mandatory public consultations on the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, representation for civil society on the proposed Fiscal Responsibility Council, public involvement in state and local budgeting processes, and advance public notice before releasing accumulated savings.

Policy Alert raised concerns about the independence of the proposed Fiscal Responsibility Board, noting that the governor still has significant powers over appointments and removals. They called for legislative approval of board members, better whistleblower protections, tougher penalties for fiscal misconduct, more transparency in public borrowing, and stronger links between fiscal responsibility and procurement accountability.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that one of the executive bills, the Akwa Ibom State Public Procurement Regulatory Agency (Establishment) Bill, seeks to give the governor power to skip bidding for billion-naira contracts for a committee chaired by the governor.

Policy Alert urged lawmakers to require publishing citizens’ budgets, debt sustainability reports, and annual compliance reports from the proposed board.

“The fiscal responsibility bill offers a good chance to set up responsible fiscal management, improve transparency, and boost public accountability in Akwa Ibom State,” the group said.

“Yet, if issues around independence, citizen participation, whistleblower protection, transparency rules, procurement accountability, and executive influence are not properly addressed, the bill may not reach its full potential.”