By: Ifeoma Ejiofor
The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has told Nnewi people in Nnewi North LGA of Anambra State to engage their duty bearers.
PPDC with the Motto: “Empowering Citizens” made this call during her sensitization program at Nnewichi-Nnewi and Otolo-Nnewi.
At Obi Nnewichi-Nnewi, the Program Manager for PPDC, Precious Adigwe educated the crowd that gathered on the rudiments of engaging the persons in position of authority.
The people in attendance were also registered in a Google form developed by the center.
At the palace of Igwe KON Orizu 111, Deputy Senior Programs Manager, Governance for PPDC, Samuel Akende during an interactive session with Prince Obianefo Orizu said that his team was in town to mobilize the citizens for increased participation in governance.
Akende said that PPDC work on four thematic areas which according to him include; focusing on procurement governance, access to justice, digital governance and behavioral change and partnership.
He also identified roles that are expected to be played by Nigerians as good citizens.
“A Nigerian citizen is expected by law to participate in the legal, political, social and economic activities in his her community in Nigeria,” Akende noted.
He said that the purpose of increase participation in in governance is to measure performance of duty bearers which he noted would promote transparency.
The Deputy Senior Program Manager, Governance also revealed that PPDC also engages with government officials for quality service delivery.
He pointed out that the group has been engaging decision makers at the federal level but had to step down to community level because of the recent Supreme Court judgment that granted autonomy to local government areas.
Prince Obianefo Orizu while welcoming PPDC to the palace pointed out that Nnewi has always carry out her infrastructural development through self help.
He noted that the state started showing interest in the infrastructural development of the industrial town lately.
Prince Orizu however commended the center for their initiative.
The PPDC engaged with a women group at the Igwe’s palace before proceeding to Nnewichi-Nnewi where they met men and women groups.
They also took their campaign to Orie Abor market in Nnewichi-Nnewi where they were received by the President General (PG) of Nnewi, Dr Maduka Atuenyi.
Mrs Ugochi Freeman and other staffers of PPDC were in the team that visited Nnewi.