By Ayodele Abere
The Justice Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI) in conjunction with Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Chapter, have emphasized that nominated projects for a constituency must align with the needs of the people of the constituency.
The emphasis was made on Tuesday during September edition of the citizens’ report presentation on the performances of the members of the National Assembly, representing Ekiti North Senatorial District of the State, held at the Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Sensitizing participants on essence of the report presentation, the Director of Programme, Justice Development and Peace Initiative in Ekiti, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akingbade, stated that Citizens’ Watch Programme is an activity of the Justice Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI) of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti Council on holding elected representatives accountable to the people they represent.
The report presentation which centred on the representatives of the people of Ekiti North in the National Assembly in the persons of Hon. AkintundeRotimi, representing Ikole/Oye Federal Constituency I, Hon. Kolawole Akinlayo, representing Ido-Osi/Moba/Ilejemeje Federal Constituency II, and Senator Cyril Fasuyi, representing Ekiti North Senatorial District comprising of Ikole, Oye, Ido-Osi, Moba, and Ilejemeje LGAs, had representatives of each of the National Assembly Members in attendance.
According to Rev. Fr. Akingbade, a team of 8 persons was dispatched to the district to randomly interview the people concerning their rating of their representatives as well as the Federal Government projects nominated for execution in their district.
“The people interviewed were randomly selected and engaged on one- on-one basis, and their responses were carefully collated and analysed with Pivot Table, and interpreted using Likert Scale tool”.
It was equally stressed that representatives need to put a clearly defined methodology in place as regards how they connect with the people they represent in an inclusive manner. Saying Periodic Citizens’ Engagement is non-negotiable.
Adding that the people need to be more concerned with the projects being nominated for their Senatorial District and Federal Constituencies, now that a Senator is entitled to nominate constituency projects worth Two Billion Naira yearly for his/her Senatorial District, and a Member of the House of Representatives is entitled to nominate constituency projects.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, described the programme as an enforcement of the constitutional right of the media and that of every citizen, upholding government and those in power accountable.
“We have not come here to embarrass anybody. Our aim is to ensure that we have a society that we can all be proud of, that those that have been elected to represent the people are actually representing well”. Said the NUJ Chairman.
The Lawmakers were therefore advised to always keep in touch with their constituents in terms of projects execution and empowerment programmes which the participants believe would enable them in meeting the people’s needs.
