Yiaga Africa, a non-profit civil organisation, with support from Open Society Foundation, has officially launched Peoples’ Assembly Initiative in Yenagoa Local Government of Bayelsa.
The People’s Assembly, launched on Wednesday, is to promote civic participation and fostering dialogue between the citizens, groups, and local government authorities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the assembly provides a platform for artisans, market women, youths, Persons with Disabilities and the local government executives to discuss pressing community issues.
In her remarks, Anthonia Onda, Senior Programmes Officer, Yiaga Africa, described the event as timely given the ongoing calls for local government autonomy and the recent Supreme Court ruling on local government.
According to her, “With several states preparing to host local government elections, they should understand the importance of citizens’ involvement at the grassroots level.
“The assembly offers a valuable opportunity for citizens’ voices to be heard in governance.
“Now more than ever, we need citizens to participate in local governance and democracy will thrive when the people engage with their government.
“The local government was specifically designed to bring governance closer to the community, and it is vital that citizens voice their concerns to influence policies that affect their lives,” she said.
She urged participants to shift from passive observers to active contributors in the democratic process, reiterating the effectiveness of communicating grievances and lending voices to social issues.
“We must stop complaining to the wrong people and start channeling our concerns to the right offices, because your voice matters and democracy works better when you participate,’’ she said.
On his part, Mr Olaniyan Sanusi, Yiaga’s Programmes Officer, who facilitated discussions on how citizens could effectively communicate their needs to the government, noted the imperative of the platform.
He said that the Peoples’ Assembly should serve as an avenue to understand shared interests, prioritise needs and make structured requests through representatives.
According to him, the goal of the Peoples’ Assembly is to cultivate a culture of public deliberation and provide answers to key questions.
On his part, Mr Bulodisiye Ndiwari, Chairman, Yenagoa Local Government, commended Yiaga Africa for launching the Peoples’ Assembly in the area.
He said that the Nigerian democracy was making progress, adding that more things needed to be done to improve more on elections.
“Engaging citizens is a good thing, and as young people we must get involved and try to do the right thing, being accountable at all times.
“The people must engage the politicians on election promises and most of them will tend to forget about their roots and what they believe,” he said.
High point of the event was engagement of participants in constructive dialogue, identifying major community challenges and discussing potential solutions, among others. (NAN).
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