Adamawa State government in partnership with the Institute for Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa (IGLSA) has conducted a two day training for various Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in the state in order to ensure all inclusive development and community mobilization.
In a chat with newsmen on the sidelines of the event, one of the resource persons, Dr. Lanre Adebayo, said, the move will ensure a seamless relationship between the people and the government as the people will be carried along in the execution of programs and policies in the state.
According to Adebayo, the two day workshop with the theme, strengthening local capacity and partnership, will ensure an all inclusive governance in Adamawa State.
“The focus of the workshop is primarily on community organizations. The premise is that you can’t harness development without involving the community groups. By virtue of their presence in the community, they are the conveyors of the feelings of the people.
“They are the ones who can truly speak for the people. So what we are intending to do here is to encourage the structuralization of the community groups that hitherto have been loose into more institutionalized structures for them to be able to come together and give voices to the people and harness the potentials of the communities and encourage leadership among the youths and to partner with the government for more development in the state,” Adebayo said.
He noted that the other leg of the training is to ensure that the people are enlightened at the community level to be circumspect about political parties and candidates and to give them the capacity to weight the qualities of those who are coming in to contest.
“But far more important is to educate the rural people on the processes of casting their votes and the need for them to speak loudly on their preferences during election and also to ensure that people of Adamawa State defend their votes,” he said.
He noted that the training which is the first phase in the series of such trainings, involved 100 people from various registered groups in the state. He urged the beneficiaries to stepee down the training to their communities for it to have maximum impact.
Adebayo who commended the landmark strides being recorded in Adamawa State by the PDP led government noted that the massive developmental strides as well as the peace enterprise being recorded in the state were the major considerations behind the selection of the state for the exercise.
“Adamawa is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. It is the most developed in the last four years. If you have this giant strides taking place, it is only rational to involve the people in the governance process,” he said.
Also speaking, Adamawa State commissioner of information, Dr. Garba Pella, said the training will greatly enhance synergy between the government and the people.
He noted that in its resolve to move the state forward, the Fintiri led administration is coming up with new innovations and people friendly policies to ensure synergy between the leadership and the led.
He urged the participants particularly the youth to pay attention during the various technical sessions so as to derive maximum benefits from the workshop.
“We need to encourage youth to take up leadership and to know that leadership come with responsibility. If our youth will have this at the core of their hearts, the society will be the better for it,” he said.
He noted that development can only happen if the communities are involved in governance adding that Adamawa State government will always be open to such kind of robust partnership.
