ActionAid, in collaboration with the South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) and the Enugu State Government, has sensitised the 17 local government chairmen in Enugu State on how to strengthen governance for overall inclusive development at the third tier.
This is as local government chairmen in the state urged the federal government to declare criminal herders as terrorists, as a way of ending insecurity and promoting peace in the country.
Among the issues discussed at a two-day event, which kicked off on Monday, are humanitarian intervention, community security initiatives (protecting communities), institutional strengthening in public finance management, domestic resource mobilisation for development financing, and others.
Speaking at the event, Governor Peter Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof Chidiebere Onyia, stated that his administration was determined to strengthen the capacity of local governments for economic transformation under his destructive agenda.
He stated that the meeting was an opportunity for the elected chairmen to engage with stakeholders to create institutional vibes and develop strategies that foster prosperity for sustainable development, stressing that the programmes of his administration had enhanced the socio-economic wellbeing of communities, especially women and youths.
Executive Director of SSDO, Dr Stanley Ilechukwu, stated that the programme was primarily organised to set an agenda that could be included in the programmes of the council chairmen for the grassroots, especially the women and youths, to foster development and peace in the state.
He said, “One of the issues disturbing youths and women is the area of insecurity. It is a significant issue within this region, as it affects everyone. Most of them cannot go to their farms because they are afraid of being attacked by bandits, and this is becoming a regular occurrence.
“So for today’s section, we decided to tackle insecurity, because we know that if we solve that, other things can now come up. If we resolve the issue of insecurity, we can then discuss human empowerment, youth empowerment, agriculture, and other issues that can only occur when the councils are secure. So today, we are talking about securing local governments and ensuring that people who live in these areas, the youths and women, can sustain their livelihoods,” he said
Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, stated that the programme, tagged Strategic Partnership Agreement 11 (SPA11), is part of ongoing collaborations with the Enugu State Government to strengthen democratic governance, advance women’s rights, promote climate justice, and foster youth–led alternatives.
“At the heart of SPA11 is a commitment to active citizenship and inclusive governance, especially for young people who remain central to the future we all envision,” he said, stressing that through the project, Actionaid had been working to amplify voices, promote inclusive participation in decision making among others.
Represented by head of programme, Okwudili Odo, he stated that the meeting aimed at provide collaborative ideals and initiatives that could strengthen the local government areas; identify local development priorities that directly respond to the needs of young people; set agenda for youth engagement and development as well as a framework for accountability and partnerships.
While appraising the project, local government chairmen in the state called on the federal government to immediately disarm and declare armed herdsmen as terrorists in the country.
Chairman of Igboetiti Local Government, Dr Eric Odo, argued that declaring them as terrorists would enable the security agencies, including the armed forces and Police, to deal decisively with their criminal tendencies, even as he urged President Bola Tinubu to summon the political courage to do so.
“We felt that it would be proper for us to be courageous enough to say that this is the time at which we can halt this menace and give our people peace, especially the farmers, so they can go back to the farms. Every day, we discuss food insufficiency and unavailability, and all these issues stem from the insecurity that we are witnessing in our communities.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the service chiefs and the National Security Adviser that the time has come for the President to declare these people terrorists. They go about destroying property, cutting people’s farms and terrorising people. So we felt that if this category of people can be properly classified and given a name, then they will truly deserve it when the whole security will come after them,” he stated.
