13^th February 2023 | Community Town Hall Meeting   

Special Guests: CITIZEN JOURNALIST, ADAMS SURAJUDEEN ABIODUN TOWN HALL NUMBER: 01 MALE PARTICIPANTS: 10 FEMALE PARTICIPANTS: 18 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS: 28

  Summary of the Meeting

The town hall meeting was aimed at educating citizens on the constitutional roles of local government officials, providing a platform for people to ask questions on matters that affect them, and strengthening the capacity of citizens to advance government accountability at the local government level.  In his declarative speech, the citizens journalist (CJ) representing Akoko North-East local government, Mr. Adams Surajudeen Abiodun, urged participants to think of how they can contribute to the growth and development of their community through active participation in governance issues. He emphasised the importance of trust, honesty, and modesty in governance, enjoining citizens to elect leaders who are known to be fair and just. The CJ also expressed regrets over the prevailing insecurity which compelled the members of the affected community to resort to self-help by going after kidnappers in the forests themselves. Critical Issues Raised During the Meeting

• The local government officials are not accessible to the people.
• The Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and the primary schools in the local government area are in a very bad state.
• The local government officials are hostile in their engagement with the citizens.
• There is a high rate of invasion by Fulani Herdsmen to farmers on their farmland.

  Resolution

• The citizens agreed to continue to use the various opportunities available to engage the local government and councillors to express their grievances to the government.
• The citizens resolved to work cooperatively with men of the Amotekun and Vigilante squads in the various communities.

  Lessons for Future Engagements

• We should create more time for the question and answer session during the town hall meetings.
• Working more with community institutions such as churches, mosques, traditional leaders and other opinion groups will help in creating lasting solutions to national issues.

Below are pictorial representations of the participants.