An NGO, Yiaga Africa, has inaugurated People’s Assembly at Ibadan Southwest Local Government Area (IBSWLGA), Oyo State to strengthen democracy at the grassroots level.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by Yiaga Africa in collaboration with Open Society Foundations to promote inclusive governance in Nigeria.
The Senior Programme Officer, Yiaga Africa, Anthonia Onda, stressed the need for people’s driven democracy that would translate to the development of Africa.
Onda said one of the projects of the NGO was citizens engagement to promote democracy and citizens’ participation in the democratic process.
“After the 2023 elections we saw the need for citizens to be more engaged in governance processes across the country and we came up with Citizens Engagement project under which we have Citizens Delivered Initiative,” Onda said.
Also, Mr Olaniyan Sanusi, the Programme Officer, Yiaga Africa, said the Ibadan Southwest Local Government People’s Assembly group was inaugurated to promote a form of deliberative democracy.
“It is an initiative of Yiaga Africa to increase citizens’ participation in Nigeria’s democratic process by promoting a culture of public deliberation.
“This is done by allowing citizens to contribute and influence decision making process at the local government level,” he said.
According to him, for people’s assembly to work it requires regular deliberations on issues affecting the citizens between representatives of citizens’ groups and representatives of local government executive council.
Reacting to some of the issues raised in IBSWLGA, its Chairman, Mr Kehinde Akande, called for reorientation of the populace on environmental sanitation, and behavioural change through the mass media.
Akande also emphasized harmonious working relationship between the government and the citizens that would promote inclusive governance.
Some of the participants at the event, Mrs Ibilola Oshin, Mrs Oluseyi Fasola and Mr Abdulrasak Ademola identified areas of intervention by the local government authority.
NAN reports that the People’s Assembly Group coordinators at IBSWLGA are representative of Community Development Committee, Rev Emmanuel Adedibu; Market Women Leader IBSWLGA, Mrs Kudirat Aloba; and Mr Sheriff Raji.