Metro

Kaduna communities not benefiting from constituency projects due to poor implementation – CODE

Published

1 month ago

August 26, 2023

(Photo: Cross section of participants at a town hall meeting organised by Connected Development to deepen citizens interest in government spending in Lere LGA)

The Community Monitoring Team (CMT) of a Pan African NGO, Connected Development (CODE), says on Friday that community members are not benefitting from constituency projects due to poor implementation.

Mrs Ladi Bonat, Coordinator of the CMT in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, stated this during a town hall meeting on Friday in Lere.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was on Deepening Citizens Interest in Government Spending and Addressing Accompanied Corrupt Practices (DeSPAAC) project.

The DeSPAAC project was being implemented by CODE with support from MacArthur Foundation to mobilize communities and empower them to provide effective public oversight on government spending.

“Our people have not reaped the full benefits of constituency projects due to poor implementation, abandonment and corrupt practices by officials and contractors executing the projects.

“Such individuals have often gotten away with their actions because citizens, communities and activists have not paid sufficient attention to government spending on project implementation,” she said.

She explained that CODE had established the CMTs, made up of members from different community structures, mobilise citizens, train and empower them to track the implementation of the constituency projects.

She said that the members of Lere communities and other stakeholders have adopted CODE’s Follow the Money strategy to track government spending on various projects in the communities.

“The results have been quite impressive as citizens have been monitoring the implementation of constituency projects, leading to completion of some of the projects while engaging government officials on abandoned ones.

“We are now in the third year of the project, and we are taking steps to sustain the momentum and deepen the outcomes of the implementation of the DeSCAAP project in the LGA,” she added.

Bonat explained that the town hall meeting was organised to review the performance of the project, strengthen engagement with government, and present key findings of monitoring activities in the last two years.

She added that the meeting was also organised to present constituency project nomination monitoring tools for effective monitoring and reporting.

“The goal is to ensure communities take active interest in government spending in critical social sectors of education, health, water, sanitation, and hygiene and use the Follow the Money tools to track implementation of projects.

“We also want to empower our communities with knowledge and skills to be able to engage government officials on how to get their demands across and have their views respected.

“We equally want to strengthen synergy between communities, government officials and anti-corruption agencies.

“There is also the need for the government to respond to community advocacy and take action to positively address situations relating to project selection and implementation,” she said.

The CMT coordinator also stressed the need for citizens to actively participate in budget preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation for quality service delivery.

This, according to her, will ensure that the needs of the people are met, ensure transparency and accountability in the delivery of constituency and other projects implementation.

“We also want to strengthen the commitment of community members, CMTs, Community Development Charter (CDC) Champions, and other stakeholders to sustaining the DeSPAAC project outcomes in our communities.

Earlier, the project assistant, CODE, Zaraphat Haruna, had explained that the organisation was established in 2012 to empower marginalised communities to demand for quality goods and services from the government.

Haruna said CODE was achieving this by creating platforms for dialogue and building citizens’ capacity to hold their government accountable through its “Follow the Money” initiative.

“CODE currently influences dialogue, transparency and accountability in governance in nine African countries,” she said.

The meeting was attended by the CMTs, CDC Champions, government officials, community and religious leaders, women, youth, implementing agencies, and other stakeholders.

Headline

Stakeholders appeal for justice in Ogoniland

Published

1 day ago

September 24, 2023

Desmond Ukafor

Stakeholders in the environment sector on Sunday in Abuja appealed for justice in Ogoniland to alleviate the plight of the people of the area.

Mr Michael David, the Executive Secretary of Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), an NGO said this at a workshop on Strengthening Capacity for Afrika Vuka Volunteers in Nigeria.

This is a build up to power up global day of action #PowerUpOgoni.

The Power up for Climate Solutions action would take place by Nov. 2 to Nov. 4.

“We are to promote the injustices happening in Ogoniland. I have been there, I can feel what the people of Ogoniland are passing through.

“Their water and farmlands are covered with oil, it is very sad. This should not be happening.

“I’m not sure we can proclaim the land in Ogoni, the level of pollution is indescribable,” David said.

He assured that the actions revealing the injustices in Ogoniland would be carried out in Ogoni and Abuja.

“We want to call the world’s attention to what is happening in Ogoniland.
They can’t farm, fish or drink clean and safe water,” David said.

He said that Karen community in Ogoniland never knew what electricity is like since existence.

“We shall carry out the action in Karen community in Ogoniland where we shall provide street lights for the market women only.

“We want to do a massive photo exhibition in Abuja of all the injustices in Ogoniland from 2018 till Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) came into inception.

“Vuka is a Zulu word from South Africa and it means rise up or in Swahili it means awaken so the 350Africa.org came up with this campaign to say Africa wake up. We also intend to have a group tagged Nigeria wake up,” David said.

He appealed to stakeholders that are into climate advocacy to partner to fight against climate injustices in the country and also appealed for increased budgetary provisions for key agencies in the fight against climate injustices.

NAN reports that 350Africa.org is a group campaigning against fossil fuels, and the promotion of renewable energy and has also been in partnership with GIFSEP to build up global day of action #PowerUpOgoni.

Rukiya Khamis, a representative from 350Africa.org said that the group is a platform for climate advocacy and justice and urged stakeholders to take the message #PowerUpOgoni across the world.

Khamis said that the group uses grassroots organising to run locally-driven campaigns in every corner of the globe.

“The climate crisis is about power — but not just the kind of power that keeps the lights on.

“We believe that the only way we’ll see meaningful action on climate change is if we can counter the power of the fossil fuel industry with the power of people taking collective action.

“We use online tools to connect that power, help those people see themselves as one movement, and to facilitate public actions,” she said.
(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

AIJ/ORO
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Edited by Razak Owolabi

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Headline

LASTMA, others combat Ilupeju industrial fire outbreak

Published

2 days ago

September 23, 2023

Ifunaya Emeka

The operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other emergency responders at early hour on Saturday combated an industrial fire outbreak at Mega Plastics Company at No.4, Ilupeju Bypass.

Mr Taofiq Adebayo, the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, made the disclosure in a statement in Lagos on Saturday.

Adebayo stated that the industrial fire outbreak took place at Mega Plastics Company at No.4, Ilupeju Bypass beside Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Ilupeju area of Lagos.

“The Traffic Officer of LASTMA, Mr Ayo Olaosebikan (Falcon) of Zone 21, confirmed that LASTMA rescue team arrived at the scene of the industrial fire outbreak around at 6:30a.m. before other emergency responders were contacted by LASTMA.

“Immediately we arrived at the scene of the industrial fire, we quickly informed other emergency responders particularly the Lagos State Fire, Rescue Services and the Nigerian Police.

“The causes of industrial fire could not be immediately ascertained, he said.
Olaosebikan noted that preliminary investigation revealed that the storage and factory section of the petrochemical company were seriously affected by the fire outbreak.

According to him, emergency responders on ground include Federal and State Fire Services, policemen and LASTMA Response Unit.

Olaosebikan said that neither injury nor death had been recorded.