PRESIDENCY LAUNCHES CITIZENS ASSEMBLY FOR ABUJA AREA
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The President established the Citizens Assembly for the Abuja region in an effort to close the gap that exists between the national government and local communities around the nation.
Speaking during the launch at the State House, Abiodun Esseit, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), bemoaned a troubling divide in Nigeria between the national government and local communities.
The presidential adviser referenced a poll carried out in March 2024 in the North Central area, which encompasses the states of Abuja, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and the Plateau.
She said: “Community engagement plays a crucial role in building trust between the Federal Government and its citizens. It establishes a direct connection, ensuring that the voices of the people are heard and considered in the corridors of power.
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“To gain a clearer insight into the challenges facing our grassroots, we conducted a survey in March 2024, involving 166 respondents from the North Central region, including Abuja, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau states.
“The findings revealed a significant disconnect between the Federal Government and local communities. For instance:48.2% of participants perceive a lack of engagement from the Federal Government.78.3% feel unrepresented in the government’s policies and decision-making processes.
“62.1% consider community engagement organizations effective. “68.7% believe the government does not consult with local communities before implementing projects.
“However, nearly 90% believe that co-creation can lead to more sustainable and contextually relevant solutions. These findings clearly indicate a substantial gap in trust and communication between the federal government and local communities, a gap stemming from unfulfilled promises by successive governments over the past 25 years since the return to democratic rule.”
President Bola Tinubu appointed six Senior Special Assistants on Community Engagement throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones in September 2023, according to the presidential adviser, in order to close this gap.
According to her, this action is a component of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to enhance citizen involvement through strategic governance improvement.
According to her, the presidential aide’s office initiated the Citizens’ Assembly initiative in an effort to close this gap.
She claims that it gives locals a forum to voice their opinions, exchange ideas, and work together to find solutions to issues facing the community. After the assembly’s FCT debut, she said, it will be repeated throughout the North Central states.
“Nearly a thousand volunteers from the region applied to participate in this grassroots engagement effort. Selected individuals will represent at least one ward across the six North Central states and the FCT, serving as agents of change within their communities,”she added .
The presidential adviser underlined how important community involvement is to fostering citizen-government confidence.
She urged other elected officials and government appointees to implement this approach in their own areas in order to promote prosperity for the country.
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