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Making governance relevant
April 28, 2009
As the Orderly Society Trust's survey of local governance draws to a close, it is evident from people's responses that questionable accountability and failure to involve the masses in budget preparation are the major drawbacks with the third tier of government in Nigeria.
NEXT observed these assertions came up in most of the town hall meetings or Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) researchers of the Orderly Society Trust (OST) organised for people in six local government areas across the nation. These LGAs are Yaba and Badagry LGAs in Lagos State; Warri-South and Ethiope-West LGAs in Delta States; and Bodinga and Sokoto-South LGAs in Sokoto state.
Though some elected council leaders were praised for showing evidence of good governance, others, like the chair of the Oredo LGA in Edo State, were said to have failed the electorate as they have little to show for their stay in office...
Making local councils truly local
April 23, 2009
Emmanuel Okon’s auto spare parts shop is less than 200 meters from the Badagry Local Government secretariat in Ajara Okoh, Badagry, Lagos State.
He however, does not know the councillor representing his constituency. Honour Atika is a young teacher in the town of his birth: Oghara, a small town about 40 kilometres from Warri in Delta State.
He has never been invited to give his input in the budget of his local council, Ethiope-West Local Government. These are some of the answers respondents gave researchers in the on-going “Making Local Governance Work” survey organised by the Orderly Society Trust.
The group , a civil liberties group, is collaborating with the Human Development Initiative, a research-based NGO, which is providing the work force for the field work.
The survey, which aims to examine how to make local governments work in Nigeria, started on April 14, 2009 and will last for eight days in 13 states around the country.
Chairman has failed us
April 23, 2009
Residents of Oredo local government in Edo State said on Friday that the only project attributable to the chairman, Nosa Ehima in two tenures is a renovated primary school and a borehole that is not working.
NEXT investigation revealed that the renovated primary school has a broken gate, a football field that can pass for a swimming pool and there was nothing ‘ultramodern' about the school as indicated on the sign post.
The road Mr Ehima plies everyday to his office is pot hole riddled largely because no drainage channel was ever constructed along it.
The residents alleged his insensitivity by stating that the chairman hardly feels the effect of the bad road as he is always chauffeured to his work in a jeep.
They got a chance to speak at the Focus Group Discussion organised by the Orderly Society Trust researchers. A mixture of elderly men and women, along with some youths, were in attendance.
Warri Women want more accountability
April 23, 2009
Though an official of the Warri-South Local Government council in Delta State declared that it had not spent a kobo on transportation or low-cost housing, yet, the residents of the council area say that the present chairman is the best they have ever had.
This was the unanimous response at a confab organised by Focus Group Discussion researchers on "Making Local Governance Work" project organised on Thursday in the area.
The women who spoke at the meeting also said they are uncertain of exactly how much money is spent on the provision of infrastructure because they had no input in the 2009 budget of the council, but, however, stated that they had faith in Matthew Edema, the council chairman.
"We trust our chairman, because he is a man of God," they chorused.
Council questions produce blank faces
April 23, 2009
Muoka Irabor and other residents of Abia community, Esan West Local Government, Edo State, drink rainwater. This is the only option available to them since the only borehole they have causes strife each time it produces water. Water seldom comes from it, though.
Abia is 60 kilometres from Benin City, and since its borehole was commissioned in 2006, water supply has been erratic. The few times water is available, it is a struggle, as the number of residents outweighs its capacity.
It is not just water that is in short supply in the community. The only primary school in the area is over-populated. The four classrooms in the school are without chalkboards and ceilings. It has no hospital, and the only health care centre hardly has drugs.
OST Press Conference
April 2, 2009
The Orderly Society Trust held a press conference on the 2nd of April 2009 at The Elias Centre.
Info
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4A Ademola Street, Off Awolowo Road,
S/W Ikoyi, Lagos. - Tel: +231 463 1629, +234 1 2793453
- e-mail: info@orderlysocietytrust.org |
theorderlysocietytrust@gmail.com
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