Pulse.ng : Citizens engagement key to good governance

By Perpetua Onuegbu

Yiaga Africa, an NGO, says the engagement of citizens by their elected representatives is key to good governance delivery in the country.

The Senior Programmes Officer, Citizens Engagement Programme, Yiaga Africa, Mrs Antonia Onda, said this on Tuesday during the inauguration of the People’s Assembly in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Assembly is designed to provide more direct participation of citizens in governance and decision-making, particularly at the grassroots.

Onda said the Assembly also seeks to bring groups and elected local government representatives to identify critical problems and propose solutions to them.

“After the days engagement the participants will learn how to hold deliberative meetings in their communities with their executives occasionally and come out with resolutions for implementation.

“We have established the people’s assembly in Sokoto and Lagos then under the citizens engagement programme we call it citizens-delivered projects and it is supported by the Open Society Foundation.

“We are establishing the People’s Assembly in 12 states and we have established it Ekiti Oyo and third one we are establishing is in Bwari Area Council of FCT“, she said.

“Ours is to inculcate the culture of deliberations between the people and the executives to make sure that the executive actually understands the need of the people.

“For us at Yiaga Africa we seize very opportunity to sensitise citizens on civic engagement and holding leaders accountable”, she said.

On monitoring Onda explained that the organisation supports the assemblies technically and financially to host their meetings and ensure they follow the necessary steps to achieve set goals.

The Executive Chairman of Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, the local councils said the Federal Capital Territory administration under the administration of Nyesom Wike enjoy autonomy .

The Chairman, was represented at the programme by the council’s secretary, Mr Kadanya Peter.

He said Wike, the FCT minister, does not interfere with the allocations among the six Area Council in the FCT.

He commended the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy, saying it would help the local government councils to deliver good governance to the grassroots.

“Since the current administration assumed office, the minister of the FCT has not interfered with any funding to the Area Councils and has also extended rural infrastructure to the councils.

“The synergy between the FCT administration, the area councils, and the people of Bwari Council is increasing daily. Just this year, we’ve had about three to four engagements with our people.

“That is why we commend Yiaga Africa for this initiative; it will further strengthen our engagement with our people and being us nearer to them’’, he said.

Speaking further on synergy among the people and the local government he called on the citizens of the FCT to be more proactive in responding to security issues so that the security agents can combat the incidents of kidnapping in the FCT. (NAN)