‘Security, jobs’ — Enugu residents present demands to guber candidates

Women and youths in Enugu have asked the governorship candidates in the state to ensure inclusive representation in governance.

The position was part of discussions on Tuesday at an event organised by TechHerNG, a platform that promotes knowledge sharing for women in technology.

The request was documented as ‘good governance banners’ and delivered to governorship candidates in the state as part of the ‘Signpost Project’.

The participants said any candidate that is elected must urgently address insecurity and other challenges in the state, adding that their expectations of the next governor include inclusive representation, functional security infrastructure, and jobs.

They also listed water, steady salary payments, quality education, access to opportunities, and protection of women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as priority areas for the incoming government.

Some of the participants lamented concerns over the ASUU strike, disruptions caused by insecurity, the sit-at-home order, inflation, and the absence of pipe-borne water in the state.

The youths said they recognise the importance of participating in civic processes and pledged to participate actively in elections.

Speaking at the event, Achenyo Ochijenu, project lead of the ‘Signpost Project’, said women and youths play critical roles in shaping the future of communities and the nation. 

Ochijenu also described the project as specifically listening to women to understand their voting patterns, the challenges they have with exercising their franchise as citizens, and their expectations of the next governor of the state.

“We went to the markets; we went to universities; we listened to civil society; we listened to youths speak about the Enugu of their dreams. We did all these to build and invest in the elections, for our young women and youths to get involved in elections, but beyond that, continue to demand accountability and excellence from their leaders,” Ochijenu said.

The ‘Signpost Project’, launched with support from the MacArthur Foundation through the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), kick-started in Enugu in 2022.

The project engages young women and youths at different fora by documenting their challenges and creating the ‘good governance banner’.