BY EMMANUEL IKPE, UYO
A non governmental organisation, the Greater Tomorrow Initiative, has trained a section of youths in Akwa Ibom State on holding government accountable through legislative engagement and related matters as champions in their respective constituencies.
Executive Director of the group, Mr Ndifreke Patrick, at a two day workshop which ends in Uyo on Wednesday, said that about 26 youths were selected to participate in the workshop across the state.
With the theme: “Promoting Youth Participation in Accountable Governance,” Mr Patrick said the programme was conceived to promote youth participation in governance and engagement with legislatures.
He said participants were equipped with requisite capacity, knowledge and skills to engage with their legislatures and demand accountability as their representatives.
He further said the engagement would allow the champions to access their representatives for robust engagement that will better address youth issues and attract development.
Speaking on Effective Citizens Participation in Legislative Governance, a resource person, Dr Harry Udoh highlighted administrative imbalance, power tussle, corruption and party politics as hindrances to effective legislative engagement.
He however advocated independent legislature from the executive grips if the needed change should be achieved.
Dr Udoh also called on the legislature to work closely with civil society organisations, development experts, researchers to build consensus, strengthen public participation, oversight and deploy technology to further enhance productivity, efficiency, transparency and accountability.
The Executive Director, Youth for Change Initiative, Amb Peace Edem noted that to achieve this, champions must be bold, courageous, polite, patient and specific while using advocacy, media, dialogue, lobbying, public hearing, memos and establishment of good working contacts with their representatives.
The champions were also taken through holding the legislature accountable and how to track projects allocated to their constituencies.
An Akwa Ibom-based investigative journalist, Mr Ekemini Simon, noted that the Federal Government has been more accountable in terms of budget appraisal and implementation unlike some state government.
Mr Simon therefore engaged participants on monitoring budgetary allocation loans, offer, grants and other fiscal policy of the government at all levels to achieve their target, amongst other things.