Discussion
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In collaboration with the National Orientation Agency, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Abuja organized a town hall meeting in Calabar on June 7, 2016 at the Channel View Hotel.
The town hall meeting which was aimed at bridging the gap between the government and the citizens and create a platform for exchange of ideas was attended by representatives of the Cross River State Governor, the Cross River State House of Assembly, Chairmen of LGAs, traditional rulers, INEC, Cross River State Electoral Commission, NGOs, market women association, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Igbo community, Yoruba community, Hausa –Fulani & Muslim community, Youth Council, media, political parties and the general public.
Ms. Florence A Osang, the Cross River State director of NOA, welcomed the participants and describe the town hall meeting as welcome development as NOA had organized programs in the past. She saw meeting as a platform for accountability, and warned the participants not to see it as an opportunity to saddle the elected representatives with their personal responsibilities, which in any way are not the duties of the elected representatives.
Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoba, representing the Director-General of NOA, in her remarks lamented the situation where citizens are becoming less important in the decisions that affect them. She advised the elected public officials to make use of the opportunity of the forum to showcase their achievements and get feedbacks from their electorates.
While welcoming the participants, the country representative of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Nigeria, Mrs. Hildegard Behrendt-Kigozi introduced the Foundation and her activities to the participants and remarked that constant town hall meetings give the opportunity of getting feedbacks from the electorates, and advised the government and people of Cross River State to put in more efforts at making the state more attractive for tourism.
The first representative of the executive governor of the state, Barrister (Mrs.) Rosemary Archibong, the Hon. Commissioner for Information and Orientation stated that the programme holds a great promise for the entire nation and therefore commended the organizers for what he described as their foresight and patriotic zeal. While the second representative, Chief Tony Undiandeye, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on public Affairs, recommended that the state government should organize such town hall meetings at local level to reach the people at the grass root.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Awak Anam, former Permanent Secretary, Political Affairs, Office of the Presidency, pointed out that the country is presently yielding fruits of poor stewardship which include massive corruption, increasing unemployment, poverty, greed, cultism, lack of decent relationship between the electorates and the elected. He advised elected officials to utilize the knowledge gained from the town hall meeting wisely as their actions will be judged by the level of development in their respective constituencies.
The representative of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly was Hon. Rev. Nelson E. Ofem, Chairman House Committee on Media and ICT. He attributed the economic challenge facing the nation to the loss in the value of dignity of labour and self-centeredness on the part of the elected officials who are corrupt and the electorates who make personal demands from the elected officials. He informed participants that the parliament of Cross River State is working hard to pass bills that will solve major challenges in the State citing the bill on kidnapping as an example.
Some participants raised some issues, for instance on the security situation in the state, which should be improved by the government, and suggested Commissioners of Police should not be left in a State for too long. They also suggested that internally generated revenues in the local government areas be contracted to consultants with targets, rather than given to individuals on sentiment thereby resulting low IGR in the LGAs. Finally, among other issues, the participants expressed dissatisfaction on the issue of double taxation in the State, and wish the government to do something about this.
Resource Persons: Ms. Florence A Osang ; Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoba; Hildegard Behrendt-Kigozi; Barrister (Mrs.) Rosemary Archibong, Chief Tony Undiandeye
