By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Yiaga Africa, a group of change – makers promoting democracy and good governance has urged citizens and residents of Ogun State to demand accountability, responsive governance, projects implementations and quality representation from their elected leaders.
YIAGA said democracy goes beyond electing people into elective leadership positions during every general or bye – elections, stressing that it also includes constantly monitoring and demanding that those given the mandate to lead should give account of their stewardship always.
Yiaga Africa Senior Program Officer, Mrs Antonia Onga, stated this in Abeokuta, the state capital, at the weekend during the launch of People’s Assembly and civic engagement forum which the body established for stakeholders of Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency.
The decision to establish the Assembly followed a decision taken by representatives of various groups in wards of the federal constituency.
Onga said the People’s Assembly is a forum for deliberative democracy that provides an opportunity for public interaction that results in priority recommendations that inform government decisions and actions.
“The goal is to rebuild citizens’ faith in democracy, promote legitimacy in policy decisions and inspire citizens’ trust in public leadership of their Legislators.
“Yiaga Africa, in the past two years has successfully established functional People’s Assemblies in some Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 10 States which have yielded tangible outcomes,” she stated.
At the forum which provided an avenue for the constituents to deliberate on issues that matter to them, Mrs. Onga charged them to hold their representatives accountable at all time and demand visible and life – changing project implementations in their various communities.
Also, speaking at the programme, the federal lawmaker representing Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency in the 10th National Assembly, Ibrahim Isiaka, said meeting had helped to deepen the understanding of democracy among his constituents.
Isiaka who represented by Mr. Abiodun Adeleye, expressed readiness to embrace change that would further improve on his impactful representation of the Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency.
“People’s Assembly is not new to us. Some inputs, changes they are trying to introduce— we will take, look at, embrace and inculcate into the system where we effect our information for the needs of assessment for our Federal Constituency.
“We always talk to our people, requesting their needs, and with that we carry out the final decision on projects to do and implement,” Hon. Isiaka said.
In attendance at the People’s Assembly forum were representatives of groups from the constituency, including traditional rulers, religious leaders, trade association leaders, Community Development Committee leaders, transport unions, people living with disability, representatives of Ogun State Assembly members of the constituencies, students, artisans and National Youth Council of Nigeria(NYCN).
