The Abia State Government has inaugurated the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee for the Abia State Strategy on Accountability, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (ABSIAS), charging members to play a key role in strengthening transparency and accountability across government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Speaking during the inauguration on Friday, the Head of Service, Benson Ojeikere, urged the committee to support the state's anti-corruption framework by ensuring effective monitoring of government projects and programmes.

Represented by Ukeje Uche Ukpabi, Ojeikere tasked the committee, which comprises lawyers, journalists, civil servants and members of civil society organisations, to carry out its responsibilities with fairness, professionalism and impartiality.

He said the committee is expected to monitor the progress of government projects, identify implementation challenges and ensure that programmes are executed in line with the state's accountability and anti-corruption framework.

In her remarks, the Lead Consultant for the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ROLAC), Professor Ada-Chidi Igbokwe, said the committee was established to support the state's efforts to prevent corruption within the public sector.

She expressed concern that many government policies and laws across the country are often poorly implemented or not enforced at all, a situation she said has contributed to the failure of several public programmes.

Also speaking, the Abia State Coordinator of ROLAC, Mr. Peter Omenka, encouraged members of the committee to produce evidence-based reports from the anti-corruption units of various ministries, departments and agencies.

According to him, the reports will enable the steering committee to effectively monitor anti-corruption activities across MDAs in the state while also promoting greater accountability.

Omenka added that the committee's work would contribute to improving access to justice for women, children and persons with disabilities, while strengthening transparency and good governance in Abia State.