From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Centre for Human Rights, Health, Ethnic Harmony and Livelihood Development (CHHELD) has carried out training on strengthening good governance and democratic processes at five communities in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, ahead of local government elections in the state.
Speaking at the training, CHHELD Executive Director Dandyson Harry Dandyson urged the participants to ensure they get involved in the democratic process by registering to obtain their voters’ card from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and voting candidates that would deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
Mr Dandyson lamented a situation where eligible voters who seek good governance do not participate in the democratic process.
On the forthcoming local elections in the state, Dandyson urged the participants to hold their representatives and political office holders accountable using tools such as the Community Charter of Demands, to participate in budgetary processes and use of scorecards to rate the performance of leaders and political representatives.
Some of the participants at the training commended the group for the initiative and promised to put the knowledge they had acquired in the course of the training into practice.
The NGO carried out the training using church platforms in Obuama, Usokun, Degema community, Degema consulate among others. Over 1,000 persons benefited from the training.
The project was funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) in partnership with Women United for Economic Empowerment (WUEE).