CSOs call for more citizen participation in governance as Tracka celebrates 10th anniversary

Members of civil society organisations (CSOs) have called on Nigerians to actively participate in governance by holding their elected and appointed public officials accountable.

Representatives of different CSOs spoke in Lagos at a panel discussion organised to mark the 10th anniversary of Tracka, a civil tech platform that tracks government projects and expenditures across the country.

The anniversary celebration, tagged ‘Active citizens festival’,  was a potpourri of activities like music and dance competition, virtual games, sip and paint, governance and history booth, and awards and recognition of heroes.

During the panel session, Yemi Adamolekun, executive director of Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE); Semiye Michael, founder of DEAN Initiative; Motunrayo Famuyiwa-Alaka, executive director of Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ); and Ogunjobi Zainab, student leader fellow of CivicHive, spoke on the ‘The role of community action in a developing democracy’.

Speaking on citizen participation in democracy, Famuyiwa-Alaka said there is a need for citizens to collaborate to engage the government and demand good governance.

She said the 2023 elections showed that young people change a lot of things if they mobilise themselves for notable causes.

“If young people from now begin to plan towards the 2027 elections, we can change a lot of dynamics,” she said.

“You see politicians behave like they do not care or pay attention until a lot of people are gathered in a place and the movement starts to build up. You will see that they care and pay attention.

“We want more conversations on issues like this. Enough of us sitting across tables and throwing javelins at one another.”

On his part, Michael urged young people to actively contribute to the positive change in the country, adding that all Nigerians cannot relocate abroad.

He added that the solutions to the country’s problems are in the hands of all Nigerians and not only civil society organisations.

“I used to tell some young people that it is never going to come to a time when everybody can run away from Nigeria,” he said.

“We are going to still have some of us who, no matter what, won’t have the opportunity of running away from this country.

“There are actions citizens need to take. If we don’t take them, the problems will continue to exist. I wish some people in Nigeria would take the bull by the horns.”

Speaking also, Adamolekun urged young people to always speak up against the evils in society, adding that “we are living in a society where evil has been normalised”.

The EiE director said there is a need for citizens to have the contact addresses of elected officials to ensure that they can lodge complaints to their representatives.

In her submission, Zainab stressed the importance of social media in mobilising young Nigerians for community action.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

At the event, winners of the secondary school essay competition were recognised and given cash gifts.

The students submitted essays on the topic “The Nigerian utopia”.

Oyinyechi Udensi of Isolo Senior Secondary School won first place, Ogunlana Klistivitonyon of French Village International College came second, Ariel Olaniyan of Baptist Girls Academy, Lagos, was third, Akanji Omobolanle of Dansol High School came fourth, and Valerie Amedu was fifth.

Some Nigerians were also recognised for their selfless work in making a real difference in the communities.

Victor Ogo Ekwueme, Michael Thompson Showunmi, Adepeju Jaiyeoba, and Bright Jaja received awards for their works.