Yiaga Africa, in collaboration with UKaid, has introduced People’s Assembly to promote legitimacy in policy decisions and citizens’ trust in leadership at the local government level.
The initiative was unveiled at the weekend, during a two-day retreat with local government officials and leaderships of selected interest groups to advance direct participation and discussion on issues that inform policy decisions at the Local Government Areas (LGAs).
Manager, Governance and Development, Yiaga Africa, Ibrahim Faruk, said the People’s Assembly was a pilot initiative of his organisation under its Turn Up Democracy project, in partnership with selected LGAs from Ikeja, Kosofe and Surulere in Lagos State, with support of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
According to him, the move is to build and re-establish the connection and trust that is lacking between the citizens and government institutions.
He expressed the hope that the programme would confer more legitimacy on local councils when decisions are taken in consultation with the people at the grassroots.
He said: “We want to break the jinx, whereby the citizens will have an easy access to meet with local government executives, to build trust and re-establish the connection for deliberative democracy.
“This retreat builds on an introduction session to deliberative democracy that seeks to promote a culture of deliberation through a People’s Assembly to inform policy decisions at the local level.”
Chairman of Surulere Local Government, Bamidele Yusuf, said the event was about getting the right people and youths involved in what could be done to foster good democratic system in Nigeria.
Stating that it was also to sensitise and ascertain the problems of the local governments, he advised other LGAs to work together for the benefit of the people and development of their areas.
Secretary, Ikeja Local Government, Akeem Dauda, said for the citizens to benefit at the council level, autonomy must be fully granted in all states.
He said if granted, that is where the masses could benefit, as they will have direct access to the chairmen and their councilors for the dividends of democracy to be felt by them.
The scribe commended Yiaga Africa for introducing another model of governance that encourages effective participation of the grassroots.
Councillor, Kosofe LGA, Orilowo Idowu, underscored the disconnect between the people and the local council system. In her remarks, a citizens’ representative form Surulere LGA, Aramide Okunade, said: “With the training from Yiaga, most of the grassroots now have the urge and tactics to walk up to the heads of the local governments. For the youths, they should be bold to approach leaders to address their demands.”
