Nigeria: Onengiyeofori George promised that his team would include the public and citizens in decision making process. The Executive Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area announced that he wants to encourage stakeholders’ participation in his bottom-up approach in governance.
He believes that the approach will be instrumental to and epitomizes the beauty of democracy.
The Chairman made the declaration on Friday in Buguma city. At the time, he was attening at the One-Day Public Hearing. The bill in question was “Bill for a Bye-Law to Enact the Asari-Toru Local Government Area Environmental Protection, Control and Waste Management Bye-Law and for other related matters”.
The Asalga Council executive chairman, Onengiyeofori George was invited as Special Guest to declare the event open. He was represented by the Secretary of Council, Sele Francis at the event. Francis delivered a brief address while declaring the event open.
“The public hearing was primarily intended to allow citizens to express the intensity of their concerns, disagreements, or approvals in principle on the clauses, paragraphs and sections of the proposed Bye-Law, which is geared towards sanitizing our environment.”
He also advised participants to “Feel free to divulge all opinions, observations and disagreements in any section or sections of the proposed bill which may be inimical or repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience.
In their reactions, Traditional Rulers, Opinion Leaders, Women Leaders, Youth Leaders, Clerics, Health Professionals, and Business Owners, who spoke in their turns at different times, applauded the timely presentation of this bill and, some also raised concerns at certain sections of the proposed bill.
The Chairman, House Committee on Health and Natural Disaster, Hon. (Mrs) Gold Gift Horsfall, who presented the bill earlier, said the essence of the Public Hearing was achieved and all concerns raised have been meticulously noted for corrections, amendments and for considerable adjustments on the proposed bill.
She gave one week notice for the submissions of all memoranda in view of the observations raised therein.