Participants at the recently held summit for community based organisations (CBOs) requested the Kwara State Government to hire more teachers and healthcare professionals for rural areas.
They also called in the government to support deserving people with cash awards, according to a report of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Community Development.
Held across the three senatorial districts of the state between August 20 and 24, the summit was organised by the Office of the SSA on Community Development Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe and it attracted at least 900 CBOs, resource persons, and community leaders from across Kwara State. The theme of the summit was ‘Self-help: a sustainable communal development approach’.
“The summit brought together 900 CBOs to discuss strategies for advancing development and promoting inclusive growth in the state. The summit highlighted and applauded some of the government’s initiatives, including ongoing urban renewal projects and infrastructural development, welfare programmes, recruitment and promotion exercise, distribution of palliative items, among others,” Dr Olorungbebe said in the report.
“As the last component of the programme, outstanding CBOs, upon the completion of verification of their submitted self-help projects by a team of independent jurists, will receive awards and matching grants.”
The report also quoted participants as urging the government to prioritise more interventions in the provision of potable water and public toilets, cash relief or support for deserving members in the communities, and recruitment of more teachers and healthcare providers in rural areas.
The report also quoted participants as asking the government to convert abandoned public buildings in the communities to good use and pass or domesticate legislations that provide legal protections and support services for people with disabilities.
Participants also wanted such summit or town hall meetings to hold more frequently for improved dialogue between government representatives and community members, according to the report.
The summit, while confirming the impacts of government’s social protection programmes, called on Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) to re-evaluate and revalidate the lists of beneficiaries so that dead persons or those who may have relocated can be replaced.
“Participants called for a reintroduction of the agricultural development programme (ADP) and for more farm extension workers to work with CBOs for better impacts. Similarly, emphasis was placed on the need for the government to construct more rural roads. The participants also urged the government to adopt a community approach in future distribution of farm inputs, especially fertilisers,” it added.
Follow OYO NEWS for more updates