By POLYCARP AUTA

Residents in Mangu and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Plateau have presented charters demanding good governance from their representatives, policymakers and other public office holders.

The community members presented the charters of demand separately to the government officials during townhall meetings on Friday at the two LGAs

The News of Nigeria of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the communities developed the charter of demand under the Accessible and Equitable Justice for Women and Youths (AEJ-WAY) project.

The project is implemented by the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN) and funded by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD).

Speaking at the events, Mr Jude Akwoh, the Programme Officer in charge of Good Governance of CCFN, said that the initiative was aimed at addressing systemic governance challenges currently affecting communities.

He explained that the intervention, which centres on justice for women and youths, sougth to promote transformative education and strengthen responses to Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

Akwoh added that the project further aimed at expanding livelihood opportunities and advancing the broader goal of good governance at all levels.

“It is due to failure of governance that we have some of the challenges we are facing in our communities.

“Insecurity, poverty and even GBV have been major issues; so we used this tripod with the aim of mainstreaming women and youths in public policies in Plateau.

“We deliberately engage communities at the grassroots to ensure that the intervention reflect their realities and priorities.

“Women and youths, who are often the most affected by governance gaps, must be actively included in decision-making processes,” he said.

On the charter of demand, presented to political actors, traditional rulers and other stakeholders, Akwoh described it as a critical accountability tool developed through extensive community consultations.

“The charter of demand is the irreducible minimum that the people demand from their duty bearers, government, parliamentarians, among others.

“We went to each of the communities, put them in groups and stayed food for three days to enable us identify the problems in their communities and how they can solve them in the best way.

“This document captures key issues identified by the communities, alongside practical solutions proposed by the people themselves, covering critical sectors such as security, healthcare, education and agriculture,” Akwoh said.

The programme officer also expressed displeasure with the poor level of participation by the political actors in the event

The News of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the political actors and stakeholders in Mangu came to the event very late, while in Barkin Ladi none was present.

Responding, Mr Dachahat Yusuf, the Secretary of Mangu LGA, acknowledged the relevance of the demands presented.

He commended the CCFN for the effort put into developing the document, noting that such initiatives would help draw government’s attention to pressing community needs and encourage responsive governance.

Ysuuf, who identified insecurity as one of the major challenges confronting Mangu, promised to study the charter of demand for immediate consideration. (NAN)