Community Participation in Governance: Kaduna APGA Councilor breaks new grounds

 A cross-section of constituents of Sabon Tasha ward, listening with rapt attention to resource persons at the event

Strengthening community and rural participation in governance has been identified as the right step towards providing the much needed social infrastructure at the local government level in Kaduna state.

This is the standpoint of Hon. Kogi James Ganaka, currently holding sway as the Councilor of Sabon Tasha, one of biggest wards in Kaduna state. Ganaka, who came into light during the last local government elections in the state, when he decamped from the Peoples' Democratic Party(PDP) to the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), to clinch the seat, following the advice of his teeming supporters, is very passionate about improving the lot of his people. 

Remarked one of his constituents: "We are very proud of him. He is the only councilor that I know who has established a constituency office in the entire jurisdiction. He is determined to provide dividends of democracy for the people. He is a humble and servant leader. We his supporters want him to vie for a higher office, given the fact that he is instrumental to the progress made so far in Sabon Tasha ward".

The concern expressed among participants at a one-day capacity building engagement on Contract tracking, Community Development Charter (CDC) and Projects Audits organized by the Coalition of Associations of Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED) for constituents of Sabo Tasha ward, in Chikun Local Council Area of the state, was the glaring lack social infrastructure in Sabon Tasha where most the big companies and industries in Kaduna are located.

The one-day training, gave the constituents an opportunity to interact with correspondents from both the print and electronic media.

Mukhtar Arome, one the participants expressed dissatisfaction with the terrible state of roads in the ward, saying "it seems that the state government is punishing the ward for not voting for the ruling party - the APC. He said government projects in the ward and in Kaduna South is nothing to write home about.

A facilitator of the media parley, Joshua James of Open Kaduna Radio debunked the impression - that the ward was being punished for not voting APC - while referring to the 2018 Kaduna state budget which shows that Southern Kaduna had more capital projects in the budget, compared to other senatorial zones of the state, maintaining that the citizens must track projects and hold government to account.

CALPED's Yusuf Goje, reiterated that the government can be held accountable through active citizens engagement in governance, adding that governance begins after politics and politicking. He also explained: "contract tracking will help the constituents know what contract is sited in their ward, who it was awarded to, the cost of the contract, duration and other deliverables".

While stressing that developing a Community Development Charter makes it easier for the government to know what the people really want; hence adequate budgetary provisions at preparatory stage of the budget, Goje commended the the constituents for making themselves available for the training and urged them to take ownership of the processes of contracts tracking, developing the CDC and Projects auditing in their communities.