The Secretary to the Gombe State Government Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi says social challenges such as poverty and insecurity can be minimize if local government areas in the country are empowered to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
This was according to a press statement signed and made available to Jewel Times by the Information Officer SSG’s Office Joshua Ɗanmalam.
The statement reveal that the SSG stated this while delivering a keynote address at the 3rd North East Local Government conference with the theme “Strengthening Grassroot Governance for Sustainable Development in North Eastern Nigeria” held at the flourish hotel Gombe.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary/Principal Private Secretary (PSS) to the Governor of Gombe State, Professor Mu’azu Shehu, the SSG remark that the conference could have come at a time when the North East Subregion is plagued by social conflagration of monumental proportion.
He therefore urged participants at the conference to make meaningful contributions towards addressing pertinent issues confronting the zone.
On Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s strategic move to develop the state, Prof Njodi intimated the participants that the present administration in the state has performed credibly well in promoting grassroots governance through the 2019 NEEDS Assessment Survey.
He said the NEEDS assessment survey identifies the developmental needs of each community, and documented it in the Development Plan for Gombe State to be developed through extensive public participation and consultation.
He also mentioned that the current administration’s budget processes are participatory, allowing citizens and stakeholders to identify projects and programs for government funding.
The SSG explains that the annual development needs and public opinion surveys are usually conducted by the Governor’s Office through the Research Documentation Directorate to gauge public opinion, gather feedback from residents, and determine priority areas for government focus.
Professor Njodi also pointed out that the North East Governors Forum has succeeded in promoting regional integration, enhancing peer review, and addresses common challenges affecting the six states of the subregion.