22nd January 2022 | Community Town Hall Meeting
Special Guests:
- Representative of HRH, Emir of Kontagora, Engr. Muhammed Bashir (Secretary of the Emirate)
- Wakili, Dadin-Kowa, Representing Hon. Sani Garba. Councilor Gabas Ward, Sani Yahaya Gago
- Youth Leader, Dadin-Kowa, Kontagora, Mohammad Salihu
- Women Leader, Dadin-Kowa, Kontagora, Saadatu Attahiru
Summary of the Meeting
The town hall meeting was held on Saturday, the 22nd of January 2022 and its objective was to bring together select stakeholders and community members to dialogue on pertinent issues affecting their community. It was also aimed at building their capacities to advance advocacy and community mobilisation between the people and their representatives at the LGA level while simultaneously fostering accountability in governance at the local level.
Beyond reasonable doubt, it is revealed that the community members engage with their local governments and authorities but seldom yield the desired results, largely due to the lack of knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of government officials, hence, most interventions are targeted at the inappropriate government officials/recipients/authorities.
Furthermore, it was evident that citizens don’t understand the proper channel of communication with their local government officials, which also constitutes a hindrance in advocating for their rights and holding the government accountable.
The Secretary to the Emirate, Engr. Muhammed Bashir, who represented His Royal Highness (HRH) The Emir of Kontagora, applauded the efforts put in place by all parties of the MyLGA Project, and he reminded the youths that they’re the foundation of society and should meaningfully and lawfully engage with governments to advance development in their communities. He admonished them to be good ambassadors of their communities and society at large and not tools for propagating mayhem or political thuggery.
Critical Issues Raised During the Meeting
- There is a general issue of lack of basic/essential amenities including power supply, potable water that favour respiratory illnesses in the community and very poor road networks.
- The Primary Health Centre (PHCs) are in a very bad state and the staff are not punctual.
- The local government officials are not truthful/candid in their reports to the state government, which escalates the hardships of citizens.
- Communities don’t have any structured platform/channel for engaging with local government.
Resolutions
- The citizens of Dadin-Kowa to form a committee tasked with interfacing with local government officials/authorities.
- The committee will also investigate the roles and responsibilities of their local government officials and the proper channels of communication.
Lessons for Future Engagements
- The town hall meetings should be more centralised and logistics be improved so as to have good participation of relevant stakeholders.
- There is a need for the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to facilitate/adhere to COVID-19 protocols.