Ahead of the May 29 date for the inauguration of governors to run the Niger Delta region, a civil society organisation (CSO) Policy Alert (PA), which is committed to the social, economic and ecological justice, has called on them to place premium on issues of gender equality, technological and environmental reforms in the oil and gas belt of the country.
The project lead of the organisation, KoKo Udoh, gave the charge at the weekend during a Learning Event Series (LES) held at Havillah Hotels and Towers, Uyo, with the theme: “OGP at the sub-national level: Can gender equity and technology make a difference?”
Udoh said openness and accountability in political governance would be entrenched if technological tools, gender equality and social inclusion are employed in the governance processes by sub-national administrations in the region.
He said: “We are calling on the governors-elect in the Niger Delta region to mainstream gender and technology so as to build a culture of openness and accountability at the state level in the region; openness results in exponential benefits for everyone.”
The participants at the event, therefore, called on the incoming governors to sign on to the Open Government Policy (OGP), where the current administrations have not done so or strengthen implementation in cases where the states have already signed on.
While calling on the citizens and government of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Imo and Rivers states to ensure full domestication and implementation of OGP, the participants noted that “open government is more accessible, responsive, and more accountable to citizens.”
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