Some residents of Abuja have called for inclusiveness of all categories of people in the governance of the country, as part of measures to overcome some of the socio-economic and political challenges faced the nation.
They made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a town hall meeting organised by the African Union Development Agency/New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA/NEPAD), African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), for the final validation of the Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR) of the Second Peer Review of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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The overall process of APRM seeks to entrench good governance practices in participating states by deepening the principles of democracy, transparency and accountability, among others, in order to create an enabling environment for democratic growth and sustainable development.
The Etsu Kwali, Dr. Shaban Nizazo III, said the traditional rulers and other citizens at the local levels have been neglected in some cases in the course of the nation’s governance processes.
Nizazo who is also the Chairman, Traditional Rulers, Kwali Area Council, said the meeting had created opportunity for the locals to air their views, based on the aim of the meeting.
“The meeting is interesting, I think this is a very great opportunities for various stakeholders to have attended this meeting because there are certain things that we need to bring them together for the proper growth of this country,” he said.
Also, a Youth Leader, Mr Baba Othman, decried the violation of the country’s constitution in which some set of people were excluded in governance, resulting to crisis in the country.
He said, “We need to make things right by adhering strictly to the country’s constitution and become a patriotic citizen. Youth forms 65 percent of the population of this country, where is the place of youths in this country today, nowhere.”
In her remarks, National Coordinator, African Union Development Agency/New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA/NEPAD), Princess Gloria Akobundu, said that the exercise was the final process of APRM, to render account to President Muhammadu Buhari.
She said, “This self-assessment validation exercise is finally concluded and the next step is to take the report of the exercise to Mr President to see what we’ve done, the response of Nigerian people, contributions from all the sectors, public, private sectors, civil societies, the special citizens.”
On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, commended the APRM team for the successful CSAR process in Nigeria.
Mustapha represented by Mrs. Victoria Agbor, the Director International Organisation, Political and Economic Affairs, office of the SGF, said validation with relevant stakeholders in the Abuja, being the seat of government was very key in the CSAR process.
“APRM being the brain child of AUDA-NEPAD has the mandate to promote, monitor and assess the implementation of developmental programmes and policies for the enthronement of good governance,” Mustapha said.
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