Jigawa State’s commitment to inclusive governance has received commendation from the Partnership for Inclusion of Local Governance (PILGOB), a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs).
Led by Malam Muhammad Dodo, PILGOB lauded the state government, under the leadership of Governor Malam Umar Namadi, for facilitating direct engagement between citizens and government officials.
In a statement released by PILGOB’s Administrative Secretary, Comrade Ahmed Ilallah, the coalition described the initiative as a commendable example of good governance, allowing citizens to voice their opinions on government policies and programmes.
“Jigawa State is an Open Government Partnership (OGP) state, where citizens already participate in budgeting processes and project monitoring. However, this new engagement programme further solidifies the government’s commitment to transparency and public inclusion,” the statement read.
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PILGOB noted that its representatives had attended and monitored the first and second sessions of the programme, held in Auyo and Babura respectively.
While acknowledging the government’s efforts, the group observed that citizens were allotted limited time to express their views during these sessions.
“The goal of the programme is to bring the government directly to the people, fostering discussion and allowing citizens to better understand governance frameworks and policies. However, we observed that the time allocated for citizen participation was insufficient. We urge the organisers to extend these sessions to ensure that the voices of the people are fully heard,” PILGOB stated.
The coalition reaffirmed its support for Governor Namadi’s vision of good governance and called for further refinements to the engagement process to enhance public participation.
“The initiative is a step in the right direction, and we appreciate the governor’s commitment to inclusive governance. We believe that with better structuring, this programme can significantly strengthen democratic engagement in Jigawa State,” the statement concluded.
