Hope Givers Initiative sensitises Abia PGs on rights

In order to strengthen the capacities of President Generals of communities in Abia and the entire south east, a non-governmental organization, Hope Givers Initiative (HOG-I) says, it will scale up Women Aide Collective (WACOL) sensitisation project through Voice to the People (V2P).

Speaking in Umuahia during sensitisation with President Generals from the over 770 communities in the state tagged: “Capacity Strengthening”, the executive Director of HOG-I, Mrs OnyekaOkey Udegbunam, said “We want to scale up projects introduced by WACOL to Abia communities, having seen the advocacy project wonders in Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states’

Enugu is using their VEC (Visit Every Community) approach, while Anambra and Ebonyi adopted CCD (Community Cluster Demand) approach where communities would identify their priority projects and the state government would give them fund to prosecute them.

According to Mrs. Udegbunam, “We want community-based Monitoring to be used across Abia to develop their CCD (Community Cluster Demand), which is an engagement tool that addresses community needs as presented by the entire community democratically”.

She further said, “We want Abia State communities to begin to take ownership of their projects. President Generals should monitor projects being executed by government and politicians in their community, even the attendance of students in their community schools”.

She advised communities to “do your own, the government will; do its own and poverty will be eradicated”, regretting that apathy on the party of the PGs is too much.

She concluded “we must begin to deliver, while they (government and politicians) supply.

Earlier, the President of Abia State Association of Town unions, Chief Sir George Mgborukwe described the workshop, stating that town unions are the oldest association in igboland but silent, while adding that 90% of community work load is being done by them.

According to him, the former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi worked with town unions as fourth tier of government and used them to build bridges with the grassroots.

He advised governments at all levels to partner PGs and town unions in their governance, while advising the PGs not to fight government, but to support them.

“I am happy about Hope Givers advice for all not to be confrontational”, he said, urging other south east governments to learn from Peter Obi on the use of town unions for the development of their communities.