A youth group, National Youth Alliance for Socio-economic Development (NYASED), has sought the support and blessings of traditional rulers in its bid to monitor and track development projects in Nasarawa State.
Convener of the group, Mr Gaza Mark Auta, who paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Karshi, Karu Local Government of Nasarawa State, on Monday, said the group was in the palace to seek royal blessings and advice.
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He explained that the youth group has partnered Budgit.com, an NGO, to follow up on budgetary allocations and track project executions especially at the grassroots.
“NYASED intends to follow up on budgetary allocations given to all the representatives of the communities. We also want to enlighten the youths to be well equipped to hold their representatives accountable.
“Nobody cares if the budget is implemented or not but we want the story to change. When projects in the budget are not executed, the youth should be in a position to ask questions,” he said.
The Project Tracking Officer for Nasarawa, BudgiT Foundation, Sarah Musa, said the partnership would ensure rapid development in the rural communities where projects are either abandoned or shabbily executed.
“As you can see, the Uke-Karshi road was completed in less than two years but it has started to fail. So these are the kinds of things that concern us and we need the support of the communities to hold their political leaders accountable,” she said.
Responding, the Emir of Karshi, Alhaji Sani Mohammed Bako III, who was represented by the Santalin Karshi, Alhaji Musa Turaki, said NYASED’s goals and objectives were laudable.
He acknowledged that most projects were not executed to the specifications thereby leading to waste of resources and short- changing of the masses.
He urged the group to do their job wholeheartedly and honestly with the fear of God and for the good of communities, and not for their selfish gains.
“In whatever you are doing, put the fear of God first. And avoid being led by political, religious and ethnic sentiments in carrying out your job. When you do your job justly, you will get the support and the goodwill of the people,” he said.
He prayed for the success of the initiative, urging the group to be courageous since what they were doing was for the good of the masses.
The group subsequently visited the Esu Karu and Sarkin Panda for the same purpose.
