Stakeholders in Lagos unit to seek transformative, accountable governance

By Florence Kalu 

Stakeholders under the aegis of Campaign For Transformative Governance (CFTG), Lagos State Chapter, have called on workers to close ranks to seek and achieve transformed society that will be for the good of all and sundry.

The stakeholders made the call at the CFTG Lagos State Multi-Stakeholder Strategic Dialogue/Town Hall Meeting held on Sunday.

The meeting had as its theme, “Mobilising Stakeholders for Transformative Governance”.

Speaking, the Secretary of the CFTG Lagos Chapter, Mr Gbenga Ekundayo, said that the meeting, which was its first at the state level, aimed at bringing all stakeholders together.

Ekundayo is also the Chairman, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).

He said also, that the meeting would inaugurate women, youths, and student groups as part of its objectives to mobilising stakeholders for the campaign.

According to him, the initiative is geared toward working together to ensure political leaders deliver their duties and responsibilities they were elected for.

“We are going to work to ensure that political and economic institutions can work together to unlock the economy so that anybody who gets into office knows that there is enough to cater for everyone.

“The initiative is following the recent autonomy granted to Local Governments (LG); it means that bulk of funds, developmental projects will now take place at the LG level.

“If we are to form ourselves into units at LG levels, we will be able to monitor governance at the level that affects or impacts us directly; that is the purpose of CFTG, “ he said.

Ekundayo said CFTG was a coalition of organisations supported by solidarity centres, including the labour movement, TUC, Civil Society Organisations among others.

Also, the General Secretary, Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, said the initiative, aimed at transformation, was the least stakeholders could desire at this time of generalised social-economic crisis.

Komolafe expressed dismay over the hardship faced by Nigerians, saying, “We believe it is not natural.

“It is this way because certain interests have structured society in such a way that it is not working for most of us.

“So, if it is not natural, but artificial, then it means also, it can be transformed, but cannot happen on its own; people have to be organised.

“Also, unions still have the leverage in terms of their tradition of struggle and experience to lead the process that will help people to come together, articulate a common ground and push for the change we all desire, “ he said.