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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been described as an all inclusive agenda for the Government, Academia, Private sector, Media, Civil Society Organisations, Community members, Persons with disability, and as well as the elderly ones in the society.
The Executive Director, Development Initiative for Community Impact (DICI), Rachael Misan-Ruppee, who made the description in her opening address during an “Experience Sharing and Learning Forum on the SDGs”, said the civil society organisations need funds to enable them play their roles effectively in the achieving the SDGs.
“A lot of data have been generated by civil society organisations and other actors, but they are not reported, neither considered in policy formulation and implementation.
READ ALSO: #ACT4SDGs: Align your programs to citizens needs, Rachael Misan-Ruppee to Government
“Our organisation emphasises on community participation and inclusion which help community members work together to own the achievements facilitated by our programs and to sustain positive change. It was on this strong note, the budding national organisation, Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) recognised our (DICI) impact across the Niger Delta communities and commissioned DICI as an implementing partner to execute the “Advancing the Localisation of the SDGs across Delta state.
“The project fall among the PIND strong hold objectives of achieving the SDGs come 2030 in their quota
“The project has five broad activities implemented across Delta state for both state and Non state actors.
October 2nd, 2019, we had an advocacy/engagement meetings with Senior Special Assistant to the Delta state Governor on SDGs and Principal Officers of the Directorate at Asaba.
READ MORE: Warri South-West Chairman Promises Support for SDGs Localisation in the council
“October 4th and h 7th, 2019 we also had an engagement meeting with Local Government Chairmen and Principal officers of Warri North and Warri South-West LGAs respectively
“And October 10th and 14th,2019, One day dialogue forum was held at Koko and Ogbe-Ijoh Towns. The RDCs, Communities, CSOs and Local Government Principal Officers dialogued and prioritised the SDGs focus of the LGAs. Commitments were made and Action plans were taken by stakeholders”
The event which also feature commendations from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Delta state Governor on SDGs, the Warri North Local Government Council, Participatory Partnership for Community Development, the Egbama Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, and the Itsekiri Regional Development Council, was sponsor by Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND).
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Delta state on SDGs and the state focal person, Dr. Andy Ilabor, who was represented by the chief admin officer, directorate of SDGs, Atube Emmanuel, while addressing Newsmen at the end of the event, said the activities of the SDGs are under reported in the state and that has created wrong impressions about it implementation on the part of the state Government
“From the discussions today it was observed that a lot of under reporting is done on about what the SDGs is doing in Delta state, and If our activities are not properly reported then is obvious a lot of people will not know what we are doing or how far we have gone.
“I want to tell you that a lot are being put in place within the state through the MDAs particularly. People just look at SDGs forgetting that the MDAs are equally part of it and they are doing a lot.
“I want to tell you that the Governor himself has design his programs around these SDGs. The Smart Agenda is an embodiment of the SDGs”
The representative of PIND foundation, Analyses & Advocacy Coordinator, Oteheri Akinruntan in a chat with The South Daily, said the whole essence of the Localisation of the SDGs is for awareness creation, implementation monitoring, accountability, and social economic development.
On what informed PIND in sponsoring the localisation of the SDGs Project, Oteheri said “we have been in the region for over ten years, and we have worked with over 200 partners, and we see that these partners are putting in a lot of efforts to drive development in the Niger Delta.
“When we get negative feedback about Nigeria at the world level about not doing so well which might be true, we also believe that the efforts of the partners on ground should be capture and be recorded that people are doing this much.
“However when we now come back to the region we find out that people are not even aware of what the SDGs are. Implementation are being captured,are not being followed up, so we thought within ourselves (PIND) that it is important to create awareness, let people know what the SDGs are, let people demand accountability.”
On his part,the chairman of the Warri North Local Government Council, Hon. Aduge Okorodudu, while commending the organisers of the event, call on the state Directorate of SDGs to keep organising fora to sensitise the people.
The chairman who was represented by the Secretary of the Warri North Local Government Council, Engr. Victor German, further recommends to the Directorate of Delta state SDGs to consult with various community on their needs before citing a project.
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“Projects of the SDGs should be prioritised,give the people what they want. During the Melenium Development Goals (MDGs), projects were just cited without knowing the needs of the people. Somebody needs roads you are giving him water, somebody who needs boat you are giving him road, so that is not it, we need to go bottom-to-top approach”
The Chairman, Egbema Gbaramtu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF), Amb. Jude Ukori, who described the events as an eye opener call on the Government to do more of sensitization for the SDGs to secceed.
“The issue of sensitization still have to continue, as big as I am today is the first time of getting more details about the SDGs, though have seen the word SDGs and flyers too, but haven’t gotten details about it.
“To be able to curb these lapses the sensitization needs to be localised. Not having it only at the urban but also in rural communities, riverine communities and let everybody have the awareness, and everybody should show that consciousness to see that the best is gotten out of the process”
