By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The Cross River State Government, on Tuesday, commenced a capacity building training for the 54 councillors across the five Local Government Area of the northern senatorial district, reads a statement shared by Owai Obo, a junior spokesman at Government House Calabar.
The Councillors are the lawmakers and make up the legislatures in the third tier of Government, the Local Government Councils. And, the clerks of the five legislatures as well as legislative officers are also part of the training, carried out in collaboration with the Center for Community Policy and Strategic Development, CCPSD, through the Ministry of Local Government Affairs.
Declared open by the Deputy Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, the workshop, themed “Building Institutions to Deliver Service and Facilitate Sustainable Development in the Local Government Systems,” is slated to run end tomorrow with the Landmark Hotel, Ogoja, serving as venue.
“Having served for eight years in the State House of Assembly, I understand firsthand the critical role that well-informed lawmakers play in shaping policies that impact the well-being and development of our communities,” Odey, represented by the Deputy Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly, Hon. Sylvester Agabi said while declaring it open.
“This workshop will equip Councillors and legislative officers with the necessary skills and expertise to carry out their responsibilities effectively,” he added, while commending CCPSD, and the Local Government Affairs Ministry for initiating the training which according to him, will strengthen local governance and foster sustainable development – a key focus of the ‘People First’ agenda of the Governor Bassey Otu’s administration.
He urged participants to leverage the knowledge gained during the training to enhance their legislative functions, improve their ability to draft, debate, and implement laws, and contribute to the socioeconomic advancement of their constituents. He also called on all stakeholders to work collaboratively in building resilient institutions capable of delivering quality services and driving sustainable development in Cross River State.
On his part, the Speaker of the 8th Assembly of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. John Lebo who doubles as the Chairman of CCPSD, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to empowering communities through research-driven policy solutions, strategic development initiatives, and capacity-building programs aimed at improving governance and quality of life for citizens.
Mr. Lebo emphasized that the workshop was timely, considering ongoing discussions on local government autonomy in Nigeria, and stressed the importance of equipping legislative officials with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their duties effectively.
Furthermore, several state lawmakers in their goodwill messages commended the organizers and urged participants to take full advantage of the opportunity to enhance their legislative contributions to local government development.
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