Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Albarka FM holds one-day town hall meeting on community development in Kwara

Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) in collaboration with Albarka 89.9 FM, Ganmo, Kwara State on Wednesday 10 of May, organised a one-day sensitisation programme on community development in the state.

The participants, drawn from various communities and representatives of the people living with disabilities (PLWDs) in the state were sensitised on the role of government and people in community development.

The programme funded by the MacArthur Foundation was held at the City-In-Hotel, G.R.A Ilorin, with 37 participants.

Participants were sensitised on the importance of engaging their representative in government to intimate them of their infrastructure needs and plan to make it achievable.

They were also sensitised on the importance of channelling their community request to their representative through the constituency office and appropriate offices at the state and federal government levels with follow-up letters of reminder.

Participants were also sensitised on the importance of budget monitoring towards the implementation of projects and extending cooperation to any contractor visiting for project execution.

Speaking at the event, a representative of the Ago-Oja community in Asa local government area, Alhaji Issa Obalowu, thanked the organiser of the initiative. He said the radio version of the programme had brought fortune to the people of Ago-Oja community in terms of having drinkable water and functioning healthcare centre which was facilitated by Hon. Abdulyekeen Alajagusi and Kwara State government respectively.

Also speaking a representative of government Hon. Jerry Kolo, the senior special assistant to the Kwara State Governor of media and public relations, lauded the sponsors of the programme for such an initiative that links the community with the government said the program indeed do give people in government clue to the needs of the community.

Hon. Kolo, however, urged the participants and general public to always take ownership of any public project in their domain to prevent the wastage of taxpayers’ money.