The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CSOs

  • CSOs urge AU to domesticate resolutions

    The African Union (AU) Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance have been urged to institute coercive mechanism to domesticate its resolutions.

    The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the State of the Union (SOTU), both Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), made the call in Abuja.

    They contended that political accountability and good governance would improve in the continent if coercive apparatus were instituted to compel AU member states to domesticate its resolutions.

    In a statement issued on Monday, Mr Okeke Anya, the Executive Director of SOTU, stressed the need for the AU to engage in “aggressive awareness campaign’’ to popularise its legal instruments across the continent.

    He said that the continental body would continue to rely on international donor agencies to implement its programmes if member nations were not committed to the implementation of its resolutions.

    Anya noted that several AU member-states had not ratified and acceded to all the treaties made by the union.

    “While some countries have been slow to make legislations to domesticate the continental body’s policy frameworks, others have deviated from the acceptable standards they assented to.

    “Inadequate knowledge among government officials about the various AU frameworks and lack of political will to implement these frameworks at national levels are also drawbacks for Africa’s development.

    “Many African nations are guilty of not adopting AU resolutions on budgetary allocation to fight HIV and AIDS, food insecurity and poor healthcare delivery,’’ he said.

    Anya noted that constructive and intensive partnership between governments and CSOs would enhance the rate at which African legislators make laws in consonance with AU programmes.

    “We expect that the AU will continue to stress prompt and decisive actions on the part of governments in the legislation, implementation and monitoring of its various statutes.

    “Increased engagement with civil societies and relevant stakeholders will raise Africa’s democratic culture, ensure effective public institutions and enhance citizens’ participation in public affairs,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CISLAC and SOTU made the call at the end of the Extraordinary Session of the Conference of African Ministers of Economy and Finance in Abuja, which started on March 21and ends on March 24.

  • Jega: we’ll give our best in 2015

    Jega: we’ll give our best in 2015

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said the electoral body is not promising perfect elections in 2015.

    Jega spoke yesterday in Abuja when he hosted the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, at the INEC Headquarters.

    The INEC chairman said the commission would do its best to give the nation credible polls.

    He said: “We are not promising perfect elections in 2015, but we are confident that we will do our best. We have taken some steps to achieve this. For instance, we’re organising staff training in collaboration with development partners, strategic plans and reorganising the staff. We are planning a retreat to finalise the timetable for 2015.

    “We are still on the continuous voter register and have held meetings with security agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs) and development partners ahead of 2015. While it is the responsibility of INEC to organise civic and other registration awareness, the commission faces challenges of funding as well.

    “It is our responsibility, under the Electoral Act, to do civil education and political education. It has always been challenging because the resources available to discharge that responsibility are usually insufficient, given the enormity of the task of dealing with a large illiterate population and to get them to understand what to do.”

    Entwistle promised America’s support, saying: “I have been here for two and a half months and I want to come over and pay my respect to the chairman of Nigeria’s election commission. That’s because as I have stated clearly in some of my public comments, as Nigerians move to elections next year, the United States stand with Nigeria as it moves towards peaceful and transparent elections.

    “I have to introduce myself and some of my team to the INEC. Obviously, we will work.”

    The envoy spoke on funding of INEC and the activities of politicians.

    He said: “The funding of INEC is a Nigerian matter and that of the National Assembly. But we are looking at a way we can help INEC through different technical funds and so on.

    “In any election campaign, obviously freedom of speech is important. But in all countries, including mine, politicians have a responsibility to be responsible. In talking about the issues, they should be fair in what they say.

    “Any comment by anybody talking about democracies, which will flare up ethnic tensions, promote violence and engage in unfair criticism of the process, is unfortunate and it’s not acceptable…”

    “We just met inside to decide what to do and focus on things, such as polling the capabilities of INEC, perhaps supporting Nigerians observer and other groups. Soon, we will get back to you with the details.”

  • ASUU strike: CSOs urge union to accept latest offer

    ASUU strike: CSOs urge union to accept latest offer

    In the wake of the Federal Government’s promise to pump in N1.2 trillion to revamp the education sector in the next five years, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has been urged to go back to the classroom.
    Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, at a round table interface held in Kaduna State on the lingering strike pleaded with the union to consider the plight of the students, their families as well as the universities’ host communities whose economy have been grounded in the past four months.
    “As concerned Nigerians, we plead with ASUU to consider the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly. The pleas by prominent individuals, senior citizens, parents, guardians and all concerned Nigerians to immediately call off this strike action.

    “We urge ASUU to in good conscience, consider the plight of Nigerian Students, the concerns of parents and guardians, the economic melt-down of host communities of universities and the overall impact on the socio-economic development of the country,” the groups said.

    They however called on the government to work with the union and other stakeholders to develop an implementable roadmap for total reform of the University system, adding “there is an urgent need to reposition the university system as the driver of national policies and ideas for genuine transformation.

    “We want government to henceforth take proactive step in all union and labour matters and put in place measures to avert future ASUU strike and other labour actions.

    “We equally urge government to critically look at the demands of ASUU and put in place mechanisms for a roburst implementation of the offers made, as a sincere intervention to holistically addressing the challenges facing the university system,” they stated.
    The groups’ position was contained in a communique signed by Conscience Nigeria; Equity Advocate; Nothern Youth Network; Youth Initiative Forum; Middlebelt Youth Forum; Policy Advocacy and Integrity Network-Nigeria; National Youth Action for Development and Empowerment; Southern Kaduna Peoples Union as well as Adopt a Goal for Development Initiative.