Building Bridges On JayFM 101.9

This edition is engage the conduct, successes and areas of improvement for subsequent elections 

As a continuum to last week’s discussion, building bridges again continues its focus on good governance with a view to probing the accountability index and orientation in Nigeria both at micro and macro level.

Transparency is a key requirement of good governance. It’s a requirement in both micro and macro levels. This means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media.

The demand for such cannot be overemphasized especially in a democratic setting like Nigeria. Transparency cannot be enforced without the adherences to the rule of law. You can share your through our feedback channel. 

Transparency is a key requirement of good governance. It’s a requirement in both micro and macro levels. This means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media.

The demand for such cannot be overemphasized especially in a democratic setting like Nigeria. Transparency cannot be enforced without the adherences to the rule of law. Happy listening!

There is no gain saying that concept of social justice has been a matter of debate and over time Nigerians have come to terms that it is just a concept not a deliverable. The value of justice in Nigeria have been considered as an ideology not a practice hence, the reflection is mirrored at both local, state and national scale of administration.

The level of inflation, insecurity, high cost of governance. On this program we are examining government policies with of aim educating our audience on the practices, failings and possible solutions to policy formulations as regards delivering social justice and good governance.

Also the idea of good governance is a subject known only at theoretical levels. What are some of these indicators to look out for in gauging good governance?

How can the people be part of these process and also take part for sake of transparency?

In another development there have been concerns on the indiscriminate posting of bills and littering of public places by campaign posters. This is connected to the poor culture of facility management by both leaders and citizens. Please enjoy the conversation With Mr. Chinge Dodo (A public analyst and a social commentator)

Happy Listening! 

We had an open mic discussion on Building Bridges, we entertained opinions of teeming audience as a way of recording their yearnings if given the opportunity to lead. The wishful thinking opens up the lines for audience to state their possible actions based on hierarch (prioritizing public demands). “What two things will you do differently if you were president, governor and why? That was our question for the day. we would like to get your feedback. Enjoy the podcast!

Enjoy the exclusive conversation between TEKAN Peace Desk and Justice, Development and Peace Caritas on the topical issue of peace  clubs in secondary schools tailored for sustainable peace in communities.  

The security situation in Plateau State has deteriorated owing to the violent conflict which erupted in state capital in 2001. Since then, the losses of the state became be unquantified. We have resorted in counting lives as numbers not human then we lose its sacredness.as it stands the sacredness of lives is worth nothing as the news of people being killed is almost a daily occurrence.

The agricultural potential of Plateau state in one of the highest in the country yet the return on investment for farmers in that sector has been generally low due to insecurity and the non-willingness of investors to come.

The tourism potential of Plateaus is second to none in the country, however the sector has remained moribund because of insecurity and governments inability tackle security.

The after effect of these incessant attacks in the state led to the displacement of persons, illegal occupation of sacked hamlets and villages as well as the denial of access and seizure of farm lands by these militias. The fate of these sacked communities in Plateaus state hangs on the balance. Justice is said to be denied to these communities. Available data shows that 102 villages in Plateau have been overran and some occupied by

Mr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri Esq from Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria (ECCVN) was our guest on this edition of Building Bridges.

The security situation in Plateau State has deteriorated owing to the violent conflict which erupted in state capital in 2001. Since then, the losses of the state became be unquantified. We have resorted in counting lives as numbers not human then we lose its sacredness.as it stands the sacredness of lives is worth nothing as the news of people being killed is almost a daily occurrence.

The agricultural potential of Plateau state in one of the highest in the country yet the return on investment for farmers in that sector has been generally low due to insecurity and the non-willingness of investors to come.

The tourism potential of Plateaus is second to none in the country, however the sector has remained moribund because of insecurity and governments inability tackle security.

The after effect of these incessant attacks in the state led to the displacement of persons, illegal occupation of sacked hamlets and villages as well as the denial of access and seizure of farm lands by these militias. The fate of these sacked communities in Plateaus state hangs on the balance. Justice is said to be denied to these communities. Available data shows that 102 villages in Plateau have been overran and some occupied by

Mr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri Esq from Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria (ECCVN) will be our guest to discuss this and more.

BB - Journey to Ending Incessant Attacks in Plateau State - 19th Jan. 2022

The youth population form major part of every society, contributing to the development and growth. While this remains true, it is al true that if not properly empowered with the right perspective, platform and opportunities, they may cause a major drawback to their communities. There is an alarming rate of unemployed young people in Nigeria. Most of the crimes and criminality are sadly perpetrated by who young people who are not gainfully employed or armed with the wrong mindset about life. We cannot discuss peace without really talking the impact of young people in peacebuilding processes.

Youth empowerment is pivotal to community development. However, such empowerment schemes need to be properly monitored, structured and wholistic for it to produce result in terms of improving the lives and source of livelihoods of young people.

Over the years, TEKAN Peace Desk through its Interfaith Skills acquisition program has empowered vulnerable and indigent women and young people across religious and tribal divides. On this edition of building bridges, we shall be taking a look at how this empowerment is contributing to peacebuilding processes for effective community development.

What is the idea of youth empowerment? What is the contribution of youth empowerment to peacebuilding and community development processes? What are the challenges and successes encountered while empowering young people? These and many more will form the basis of our discussion with Mr. Julius Abimiku, Mrs. Victoria Hagalstine and one of Young beneficiary of its vocational empowerment program.

Policies (or plans) are strategies carefully mapped out for implementation to achieve stated objectives. Usually, these policies/plans are situated within the ambits of existing or created piece of legislations. Like other climes, the current administration has its own economic and development plan. We shall be taking a look at the plan and what it holds for Nigerians in the new year.

The government last Wednesday officially launched its National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025 which succeeded the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017 – 2020. The NDP targets the creation of 21 million full time jobs for Nigerians and also hopes to lift 35 million people out of poverty by year 2025. The private sector is expected to be the largest contributor in terms of the funding alongside other stated funding sources by the government.

What are the components of the National Development Plan?  How will it improve and impact Nigerians and increase development at the community level in the new year and with the electioneering period in view? What are the commensurate derivable benefits to Nigeria and Nigerians alike in the face of harsh and unstable economic condition? What are the basic improvements the NDP is bringing, better than the ERGP? All these are pertinent questions as we take wholistic look at the NDP which will form the economic and developmental compass for the country in 2022 and beyond. We have a team of Development practitioners and analysts to do justice to this topical issue; Mr. Kitshiwe William (Program Manager, Mennonite Central Committee), Mr. Dan Zita (Public Affairs Analyst) and Mr. Kabiru Sabo (Programmes Manager, TEKAN Peace Desk).

The year 2021 has been an historic year in view of the various happenings within the year. There are various issues that stand out in the year which has been our major talking points and driven our advocacy on this platform within the year. On this edition of the programme, we shall be having a review of those major talking points as we assess the challenges, emerging issues and way forward as the year winds down in 2 days’ time.

Notable among these are issues of insecurity ranging from farmer – herder attacks, communal clashes, increased kidnappings, banditry, insurgency. Other major talking points are the issues of the increasing cost of commodity, new variant of the Covid19 Pandemic, Good governance, state of our policing one year after the #EndSARS protests,

The various regions of the country have had its fair share of insecurity in the year 2021. This is with its attendant negative impact on human and capital development with increased polarization of the country across ethnic and regional lines. The education sector has had its fair share of security challenges with increased cases of school kidnappings. This has been the order of the day in northeastern and north western parts of the country.

All these forms bulk of the demand for good governance by citizens who grapple with economic fallout across board. This is coupled with increasing cost of governance or recurrent expenditure and surging depth profile of the country.

All these and many more will form the bases of our discussion today as we review major talking points within the year. Which of these issue(s) stands out for you? What are the emerging issues as the year winds down? And what are you grateful to God for this year?

The ember months each year is filled with several challenges occasioned by increased human and economic activities. The rush is usually at its peak in December as the festive season sets in. This is underscored by increase in market activities, travels and rush to make ends meet. All these have a spiral effect on the security situation within the period in our communities. Various communities experience several security challenges ranging from increased in kidnappings, armed robbery and petty thefts as the case maybe. The Department of State Services (DSS) had on Wednesday (15th December, 2021) issued a public security advisory where it cautioned recessing members of the National and state assemblies as well as other public and private sectors workers on vacation may be predisposed to threats of various degrees. The statement reads in part, “these individuals are susceptible to kidnapping, hijack, assassination, armed robbery and political manipulations. They are advised to be security conscious in order not to fall victim of these attacks and destructive political maneuvers”

It is no longer news that several communities in Jos and environs are faced with the afore mentioned security issues.

This calls for increased communal security approaches to better protect our communities during the festive season. This is to further compliment the effort of security operatives in securing our surroundings. How can we support our local security structures for effective performance during this period? What do you need to know about security tips to better protect yourself during the festivities? All these and many more will form the basis of our discussion on this edition of Building Bridges with Dr. Obadiah Samuel

In the last edition of Building Bridges, we discussed issues surrounding the ember months. We dwelt on peculiar issues of the season with local relevance to the well-being of the general public. Today, we shall further our discussion by focusing on the road traffic peculiarities of the yuletide season. This period (Christmas and new year celebration) is accompanied by increase human activities leading increased vehicular activities and travels as the case maybe. This usually leads to increase in vehicular traffic across various roads and accidents. Various roads in Jos and environs are already witnessing increased vehicular traffic and accidents leading to the loss of lives in some cases. According to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2020), “2,080 road crashes occurred in Nigeria within the second quarter (April - June) of the year”. Speed violation accounted for 47% of reported road crashes. This is closely followed by wrongful overtaking accounting for 10% of the crashes. While a total of 855 person lost their lives in road traffic crashes within the period. It is expected that this sad development might further increase as the Christmas season sets in, if not properly checked. This calls for increased awareness for drivers and passengers alike to stay safe and travel safe during the season. Usually, increased traffic and accident are caused by Bad roads, road (un)worthiness of vehicles, drivers’ state of mind / drunk-driving, over speeding, fatigue among drivers, use of Mobile phones while driving, substance abuse among other factors hinging on lack of adherence to common road safety regulations by relevant authorities such as the Federal Road Safety Corpse (FRSC). It is those who drive to remain alive that will ultimately remain alive to celebrate the Christmas and new year. On this note, how do we ensure that drivers are conscious of the dangers of not adhering to road safety regulations this season? How do we curtail cases of reckless driving? What do you need to know as you are plan to embark on that journey for the Christmas and New Year holiday? All these and many more will form the basis of our discussion on this edition of Building Bridges with Route Commander Mr. Peter Yakubu Longsan, Public Enlightenment Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corpse (FRSC), Plateau state sector Command.

The festive season is here again! The season is characterized by increased human activities across communities geared towards making the festivities memorable. Many people celebrate differently but it all hinges on local realities at play in communities. While all these activities are being planned, there’s need to harness various inspired initiatives to build bonds of love and unity across divides.

Harnessing the art of the season for peace cut across relevant creative activities such as music, exhibitions, Dance and carnivals for peace. A close link to that is the worsening economic realities with dire consequences on community members’ mental health. There is also a need to build resilience for the season and beyond through inspired initiatives to be carried out within the festive season. This is the crux of our conversation as we explore opportunities embedded in arts for peace and resilience during the festive season.

Consequently, we shall anchor our conversation on the underlying principles behind forms of art in communities during the festive season. How can we harness such forms of art for peace and resilience? How effective can those form of art be in our quest for peace and unity across communities? are those arts well suited for healing while seeking peace and unity? We shall be discussing this and more with Dr. Jacob Onoja

Peace is a collective effort of community members. It begins with every individual irrespective of social, economic, religious or tribal inclination. Peace can only last as decided by community stakeholders. As such, making the decision for peace requires a daily, deliberate and concerted determination of community dwellers. Peace can also be achieved by mutual understanding of community members anchored on justice for all. There are drivers of peace in our communities that can be leveraged for this purpose. But overtime, these drivers become weakened by human activities such as antisocial vices, rumors and fake news.

These activities are not without dire consequences to stability of our communities. Key segment of the population, are often at the center of this. On today’s edition of building bridges, we shall be discussing local peace initiatives in Dadin Kowa and Laranto Communities as ignited by young people and Youth groups as well as other Development Associations within these communities.

What are the drivers of peace in Dadin Kowa and Laranto Communities? how can these drivers be enhanced for communal peace in these communities? what are the lessons for other communities? how effective have they being overtime? Are the emerging local peace issues generic or specific? All these and more will form the basis of our discussion with Mr. John Mark from Dadin Kowa Community and Yakubu Tagni from Laranto Community.

Peace is a collective effort of community members. It begins with every individual irrespective of social, economic, religious or tribal inclination. Peace can only last as decided by community stakeholders. As such, making the decision for peace requires a daily, deliberate and concerted determination of community dwellers. Peace can also be achieved by mutual understanding of community members anchored on justice for all. There are drivers of peace in our communities that can be leveraged for this purpose. But overtime, these drivers become weakened by human activities such as antisocial vices, rumors and fake news.

These activities are not without dire consequences to stability of our communities. Key segment of the population, are often at the center of this. On today’s edition of building bridges, we shall be discussing local peace initiatives in Nabor and Rikkos Communities as ignited by young people and Youth groups as well as other Development Associations within these communities.

What are the drivers of peace in Nabor and Rikkos Communities? how can these drivers be enhanced for communal peace in these communities? what are the lessons for other communities? how effective have they being overtime? Are the emerging local peace issues generic or specific? All these and more will form the basis of our discussion with Mr. Sani Danjuma from Nabor Community and Mallam Garbati from Rikkos Community.

Peace is a collective effort of community members. It begins with every individual irrespective of social, economic, religious or tribal inclination. Peace can only last as decided by community stakeholders. As such, making the decision for peace requires a daily, deliberate and concerted determination of community dwellers. Peace can also be achieved by mutual understanding of community members anchored on justice for all.  There are drivers of peace in our communities that can be leveraged for this purpose. But overtime, these drivers become weakened by human activities such as antisocial vices, rumors and fake news.

These activities are not without dire consequences to stability of our communities. Key segment of the population, are often at the center of this. On today’s edition of building bridges, we shall be discussing local peace initiatives in Gyel/Bukuru and Tudun Wada as ignited by young people and Youth groups.

What are the drivers of peace in Tudun Wada and Gyel/Bukuru? how can these drivers be enhanced for communal peace in these communities? what are the lessons for other communities?  how effective have they being overtime? Are the emerging local peace issues generic or specific? All these and more will form the basis of our discussion with Mr. Job Manajang from Gyel/Bukuru Community and Mr. Richard Egbita from Tudun Wada Community.

The face off in the Plateau State House Assembly is no longer news. However, while the fracas remains, several interest groups calls for restoration of order in the house. The honorable members are divided between Hon. Nuhu Ayuba Abok, yet others have pledge their allegiance to Hon. Yakubu Sanda. While the unfortunate standoff between the two factions continues, legislative business has suffered setback with untold fall out on governance in Plateau state.

Many stakeholders have called for immediate resolution of the impasse. Others have condemned the way and manner in which Hon. Nuhu Ayuba was purportedly impeached.

What is the effect of these on Governance? What is the effect on peaceful coexistence of residents and citizens while the stalemate lingers? What are the imperatives on the rule of law in Plateau state? is there a quick fix to this legislative stalemate? What are the legal and constitutional provisions as well as solutions to this problem?

To do justice to all these, we have Barr. Samuel Dido with us in the studio

It is often said that there is Ability in Dis-Ability! Needless to point out the fact that our humanity encompasses everyone irrespective of the situation that life presents. These challenges could sometimes pose serious trials to some. Yet others have successfully overcome these encounters through resilience and innovative means.

While this remains, we need to know the concerns of Persons living with disabilities in Nigeria. Poverty indicators are worrisome for the average Nigerian, the situation is more precarious for vulnerable and neglected people within communities (especially PWDs). Although accurate number of PWDs is hardly available but the World Health Organization and the World Bank indicated that about 30 Million Nigerians have one form of disability or the other. While about 63% of adults with disabilities in Nigeria are unemployed and 30% of out-of-school children are those living with disabilities (source: IFA).

While anyone experience violence, discrimination, abuse or neglect, people living with disabilities are at greater risk with women and girls living with disability are at even greater risk.

What are the concerns of persons living with disabilities? How can these concerns be addressed in Nigeria? how can their interest be factored into community developmental initiatives? What are the working approaches, policies, and legislations that can leveraged for the protection of persons living with disabilities?

September 15 is designated by the United Nations as international democracy day. The day enables member countries to evaluate existing democratic structures and dividend as well as the aspirations of citizens and global best practices. This is further anchored on SDGs 16; peace, justice and strong institutions.

On this edition of Building bridges, we shall be discussing ways of strengthening democratic resilience in the face of present and future crisis with keen focus on way forward. The conversation will explore sustainable ways of consolidating democratic ideals across communities despite prevailing crisis (attacks, injustice, freedom of expression, health and security). It will also highlight the institutions meant to strengthen or consolidate democratic ideals and their performance with a view to better hold them to account in a shrinking civic space.

To this end, how have we fared as a democratic country? Are democratic ideals essential part of the process of governance? What is the line between duties of government and dividends of democracy? How can we strengthen democratic ideals in the face of emerging crisis and challenges? How can we better up hold the rule of law and human right while tackling insecurity and emergency situations to reflect democratic ideals and global best practices? All these and many more will form the basis of our conversation with Mr. Shingdam Yakubu Dangkat, a Public Affairs commentator as well as Management and Leadership Consultant.

The agitation and call for local security initiatives (State and community police) to better protect lives and property within communities has birthed different security outfits across the country. Such as the neighborhood watch, Vigilante and hybrid security operations in other parts of the country where local vigilantes have been working hand in hand with the security agencies to provide relevant information and collaboration for effective provision of security of live and property. One of such security outfit on the Plateau is the Operation Rainbow. A hybrid force established in June, 2010 by the Plateau state government under the leadership of former Governor Jonah David Jang to increase the peace-building effort to help curb that of the joint tasks force (JTF), civil society’s organization (CSO’s) and non-governmental organization (NGO’s). Operation Rainbow with its neighborhood watch operatives was set to perform community policing duties in their various localities. They are expected to provide accurate and timely information on the security situation in their wards to enable proactive action by government security agencies.

With the coming of the current administration, the security outfit seem to be a shadow of itself while security situation worsened by the day. Although several community dialogue efforts; state and non-state actors round table have been engaged for lasting peace by the current administration on the Plateau. This was complemented by the creation of the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency in 2016 for further community engagement on building lasting Peace. While this peacebuilding initiatives are commended, events in recent times suggests more needs to be done to better protect lives and property.

Consequently, many commentators and callers on this platform have called for the full resuscitation and empowerment of operation Rainbow to meet emerging security challenges in collaboration with state security outfits on the Plateau. Recall that the Plateau State house of assembly in its august Resolution had also called on the executive arm to put words to action on the resuscitation and empowerment of Operation Rainbow.

While these remain, what are the challenges facing the security outfit back? What are the hurdles and matters affecting the full operation of the security outfit? How can the outfit be better repositioned for effective protection of lives and property on the Plateau? How effective and efficient can the outfit be in delivering on its mandate as designed? These and many more will form the basis of our discussion with two experts: Dr. Obadiah Samuel and Mr. Anthony Boniface

The dynamics of security challenges bedeviling several regions, states and communities in Nigeria have had several untold negative impact on human and capital development of the country. Lives and property have been lost to this unfortunate attacks and other acts of criminality perpetuated by criminal under various guise. Available statistics from NRC shows that over 2 Million people have been internally displaced due to the prevailing insecurity across the country. While it remains the constitutional mandate and prerogative of the government to provide security, citizens have consistently lamented the worsening security across the country despite the various internal security arrangements put in place by the government.
The Nigerian police seems overwhelmed leading to increased agitation for community policing but in return, the conversation seems to be diffused towards state police to effectively protect lives and property. The military have been involved in several internal security operations to complement effort of the Nigerian police force. While this is commendable, we need to discuss the various operations of the Armed forces along the lines of their operational codes, rules of engagement, global best practices in terms of human rights, civil-military relationship and collaboration with CSOs.
This and many more will form the crux of our discussion with Mr. Kabiru Sabo, Miss. Lois Nanle and Mrs.  Victoria Hagalstine.

TEKAN Peace Desk - We are live on Building Bridges on JayFm Live with Dr. Prince Charles Dickson as we count the cost of communal crises on Jos and environs. (II)

♨What is your view on the economic and social setback on the state due to the periodic crisis and attacks? 

 ♨What is the effect on education, development, and social cohesion?  ♨How has the crisis affected you as a person and how are you coping?

♨What is the way forward despite the unceasing dialogue and peacebuilding initiatives?  Join the conversation! Share your thoughts! 

#WeJosWantPeace! #PrayForPlateau 

We are live on Building Bridges on JayFM 101.9 by 11 am - 11:45 am as we count the cost of communal crises on Jos and environs.

What is your view on the economic and social setback on the state due to the periodic crisis and attacks?

What is the effect on education, development, and social cohesion?

How has the crisis affected you as a person and how are you coping?

What is the way forward despite the unceasing dialogue and peacebuilding initiatives? \nJoin the conversation! Share your thoughts!

#WeJosWantPeace! #PrayForPlateau"

The youth represent a significant segment of Nigeria’s population. The powers of the youth and access to major resources and platforms have been undermined in several ways.

The international Youth day specifies a day where the needs, aspirations and contribution of the youth are critically assessed with a view to providing meaningful solutions and way forward on emerging issues affecting the youth. This Year’s theme; Transforming food systems: Youth innovations for human and planetary health Focuses on the highlighting efforts by youths at improving food systems through various innovative approaches that are human friendly. The world population is growing population in Nigeria and Globally calls for increased food production which also needs improved youth driven innovative approaches. However, this key segment of the population faces various challenges while trying to engage their creative drive to solve these problem.

On this edition of Building bridges, we shall be highlighting the need for youth to make informed decisions on food choices through increasing agricultural enlightenment and approaches that promote community and individual well-being as well as sustainable options human. What are the available food systems across communities and what are the effort to transform these systems? Are there youth innovative approaches to transforming these identified food systems? How sustainable are they in the face of increasing insecurity across farming communities?

We shall be having this very important conversation with three versatile youth advocates and enthusiasts across various areas of social endeavor. We have with us; Mr. Dakadieng Ayuba, Mr. Samuel Idawko and Mr. Panshak Wesley.

The attacks in Irigwe Land calls for concern from all well meaning Nigerians as they seem to be unabetting. 

Join us on our flagship Peace Advocacy program on #BuildingBridges on JayFm Live by 11am as we discuss events

and efforts to ignite dialogue for peaceful coexistence in Irigwe Land. 

We shall be discussing with Key stakeholders from National Association of Irigwe Youth Council; 

♨What is the state of affairs after the gruesome attacks few days back? 

♨ what are the peace initiatives being ignited to calm frayed nerves? 

♨How can we avoid the occurrence of such sad occurrence in Irigwe Land and plateau state by extension? 

♨What is the way forward? 

♨What are the burning questions you want to ask the Irigwe Youth Council and what solutions do you want to propose to the issues on ground? 

#nonviolence 

Join us, share your thoughts, comments, and questions with us! Let's talk peace!

The beauty of democracy lies in a consistent and credible electoral process where the wishes and aspirations of the majority reigns. There are series of activities before the main elections which requires participation of citizens as much as the elections itself. Part of these activities include Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) to update the voters’ register and other emerging issues that require attention. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier announced commencement of the Continuous Voters’ Registration across the federation. In a bid to make the process easier, more accessible and user friendly for new and old registrations, the commission had launched a portal which allows a two-step registration process in which first prospective registrants login to pre-register by providing their biodata and some biometrics and second to complete the registration by physically presenting themselves at a designated registration center of their choice.

The Commission’s Chairman – Prof. Mahmood Yakubu was quoted to have said, “the online innovation was one of the Commission’s innovation to enhance voter experience by making the registration exercise faster, easier, and less crowded than before. Given the lingering COVID-19 situation, the new registration solution will help decongest registration centers, reduce delays, and allow prospective registrants to schedule appointments and monitor their applications from the comfort of their homes.”

The online registration started on 28th June, 2021 while the physical part of the registration started on 26th July, 2021 across various INEC LGA offices and designated centers. Few days into the physical registration process, various registration centers have witnessed increasing turn out of prospective registrants for the physical capture and other related matters covered by the CVR exercise.

On this edition of the programme, we shall be raising awareness on the conducts of the process and issues arising from the various centers as witnessed by prospective registrants. This is with a view to providing relevant updates and information to citizens who wish to participate in the process as a means to strengthening political participation as well as the electoral process (rights to vote) for better outcomes in subsequent election. To do justice to this, we have with us in the studio Mr. Sylvanus Yepe (Head of Voter Education and Publicity – INEC Plateau State) and Engr. Wakili Tol (Head of ICT department INEC Plateau State)

Here's the link for new registration
https://cvr.inecnigeria.org/Home/start

Political parties are the expression of political pluralism; they contribute to the formation and expression of the will of the people and are a fundamental instrument for political participation. Their creation and the exercise of their activities are free in so far as they respect the Constitution and the law. Their internal structure and operation must be democratic.”

olitical parties are the expression of political pluralism; they contribute to the formation and expression of the will of the people and are a fundamental instrument for political participation. Their creation and the exercise of their activities are free in so far as they respect the Constitution and the law. Their internal structure and operation must be democratic.”olitical parties are the expression of political pluralism; they contribute to the formation and expression of the will of the people and are a fundamental instrument for political participation. Their creation and the exercise of their activities are free in so far as they respect the Constitution and the law. Their internal structure and operation must be democratic.”

Internal democracy in political parties, also known as intra-party democracy, refers to the level and methods of including party members in the decision making and deliberation within the party structure. Intra-party democracy is usually known to nurture citizens’ political competencies and/or producing more capable representatives which in turn ensures that the party produces better policies and political programmes. Although the view that “parties should practice what they preach” is commonly shared, there are also skeptics who might argue that too much democratization may hinder parties to keep their electoral promises and also dilute the power of a party’s inner leadership.

There is no gain saying that political parties in Nigeria have no concrete ideologies for internal democracy hence they reflection is mirrored at a national scale of administration. The recent cross movement of politician from other parties to the ruling party is a thing of concern. On this program we are examining the selection processes of political parties with the aim educating our audience on the practices, failings and possible solutions to our selection process in our political parties. How can the people be part of these process and also take part for sake of transparency? 

In another development there have been concerns on the rising cost of commodities and services in the country. This is connected to the high rate of inflation and poor monetary policies by the countries leadership. The prices of commodities have doubled in the market. This will form part of our concerns on the Public in Corner (PIC).

Political parties are the expression of political pluralism; they contribute to the formation and expression of the will of the people and are a fundamental instrument for political participation. Their creation and the exercise of their activities are free in so far as they respect the Constitution and the law. Their internal structure and operation must be democratic.”

Internal democracy in political parties, also known as intra-party democracy, refers to the level and methods of including party members in the decision making and deliberation within the party structure. Intra-party democracy is usually known to nurture citizens’ political competencies and/or producing more capable representatives which in turn ensures that the party produces better policies and political programmes. Although the view that “parties should practice what they preach” is commonly shared, there are also skeptics who might argue that too much democratization may hinder parties to keep their electoral promises and also dilute the power of a party’s inner leadership.

There is no gain saying that political parties in Nigeria have no concrete ideologies for internal democracy hence they reflection is mirrored at a national scale of administration. The recent cross movement of politician from other parties to the ruling party is a thing of concern. On this program we are examining the selection processes of political parties with the aim educating our audience on the practices, failings and possible solutions to our selection process in our political parties. How can the people be part of these process and also take part for sake of transparency?

In another development there have been concerns on the rising cost of commodities and services in the country. This is connected to the high rate of inflation and poor monetary policies by the countries leadership. The prices of commodities have doubled in the market. This will form part of our concerns on the Public in Corner (PIC).

At has been on the line of discussion in and out that our electoral processes have to go through some re-digging and reformations and yes, our conversations has been about ELECTORAL REFORMS. We discussed this last week with Mr. Santos Ayuba and couldn’t come to a satiable stop so we have him again on this same topic. Sit back and listen. Remember to #getIinvolved.

On this edition of Building Bridges we have Mr. Santus Ayuba Larap a public analysis to discuss with us on ELECTORAL REFORMS.

Kindly listen attentively and do not forget to #getInvloved

Can you expect a good democracy or government without allowing people to air out their views and say what they want to say?

Listen to the second part of the discussion tagged “Human Right – Right to freedom of speech and right to freedom of expression” with Mr. Godfrey Mathew

#BuildingBridges

#tekanPD

#TPD

On the 5th of June, 2021 the federal government of Nigeria banned the use of twitter in Nigeria. It has since been a trending issue as many citizens see the action as an infringement on their freedom of speech and expression. Others lament the lost the action will cause to their process of employment, business and many other activities hinged on twitter.

In this episode, we shall be discussing Human Right – Limitations, possibilities and boundaries. We shall base this discussion on the human right to speech and freedom of expression.

Journey with us as we look into the first part of this fascinating topic.

After the Chibok schoolgirls abduction in 2014, the Federal Government launched the safer school’s initiative to better protect students in school. Despite this laudable achievement, several students have been kidnapped from schools ever since. Many have wondered why the problem persist and why would students be the prime targets. This heightened doubts about the feasibility of the initiative coupled with several allegations that have been made about the management of funds earmarked for the initiative. The safer school initiative had Borno, Adamawa and Yobe as pilot states because of their peculiar security challenges and experiences. Years after, other states such as Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara have had their fair share of insecurity leading to the kidnap of students from schools while Plateau State have also had record of security breach within school community with various sad stories.

On this edition of the programme, we shall be gleaning on basic learnings from the safe school initiative that private and community schools can adapt to ensure that schools are kept in the face of increasing insecurity across the country. The initiative has the following practical steps to keep students safe in school;

A. School-based interventions

B. Community interventions to protect schools; and

C. Special measures for at-risk populations.

This comes with various effects on education across volatile communities.

Consequently, available statistics indicate, nearly 6.3 million or 60% of the 10.5 million Nigerian out of school children live in northern Nigeria where kidnap of students from schools has been more prevalent over the years. There are also huge geographical disparities between the percentage of out of school children in the Northeast, which is 30 times greater than the percentage in the Southeast and 60% of these are girls from Northern Nigeria.

In view of all these, what is the impact on education in Northern Nigeria? what is the effect on the turnout of students across volatile areas? What are the likely school based interventions that can be applied to ensure students are kept safe while in school? What are some likely community interventions that can help protect school children? What are the uncertainties of school proprietors and parents / Guardians in this challenging times? What is the way forward? What lessons can be learnt and adapted by school in Jos and environs from these experiences?

All these and many more will form the basis of our discussion on today’s edition of Building Bridges.

Poverty has various dimensions and impact on development and our community. This affect the community in many ways among which include, increase in crime rate, insecurity, youth restiveness among numerous ills that bedevil communal unity and development. While the fact remains that a key part of government roles and responsibility in any context is job creation, economic stabilization and other employment stimulating factors whereby citizens can latch on to improve their lives and livelihood. The United Nations in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pegged reduction of extreme poverty by 2030 as its number one goal. While the goal seems ambitious, many have doubted its feasibility. Consequently, 9 years to Vision 2030, the poverty rate in Nigeria keeps increasing with its attendant negative consequences across communities. The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) captured Human Development Dimensions of poverty in Nigeria to include; Health, Education, Housing conditions among others.

Some recent statistics have designated Nigeria as “poverty capital” of the world while the government have refuted this on many grounds. Statistics from Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) states that 40.1% of Nigerians live below the poverty line of 1 dollar per day. This means that over 82.9 Nigerians are considered poor by national standards. This is tied to related factors such as surging population, Education level and economic condition among others. While these may seem to be figures or percentages, how do they define/affect the ordinary Nigerian? What are the effects of poverty on our communities? What are the Metrics for determining poverty level? How reliable are these metrics vs. the realities across communities? How effective are poverty alleviation programmes of the government? what has been the effect of these poverty alleviation programmes and policies on human development across communities? what are the setbacks and way forward? These will form the basis of our discussion with Mr. Ben Chikan, a Development practitioner as well as social and economic justice advocate today.

Human Right as enshrined in the constitution stipulates the right of everyone to basics of existence as human. It is universal and must be respected by all for mutual coexistence. Human Rights stipulates the minimum standards for human behavior which are guaranteed by local and international laws. The international Bill of Rights outlines basic Human rights to include; The right to equality and freedom of discrimination, the right to life, liberty, and personal security, Freedom from torture and degrading treatment, the right to fair trial, the right privacy, freedom of belief and religion and freedom of opinion among others.

The Human Rights Commission exist to ensure that minimum global standards are met in terms of protecting the rights of citizens. However, the recently released 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria by the US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour observed Significant human rights abuses in Nigeria to include: unlawful and arbitrary killings by both government and non-state actors; forced disappearances by the government, terrorists, and criminal groups; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government and terrorist groups; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary detention by government and non-state actors; political prisoners; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious abuses in an internal conflict, including killing and torture of civilians; serious restrictions on free expression, the press, and the internet, including the existence of criminal libel laws; substantial interference with the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, severe restrictions on religious freedom; serious acts of corruption among others. Several stakeholders had spoked out against existing Human rights abuses in Nigeria. But the government had in its usual manner downplayed such allegations.

In view of all these, what is the impact of these rights abuses on freedom of expression by citizens? How does it affect community advocacy for development? How can CSOs and FBOs be strengthened to promote and protect the rights of citizens from being trampled by state and non-state actors alike? How can citizens be better enlightened about their Fundamental rights? How can citizens be advocates of Human rights as we seek to unite our communities for Peace and security? How can existing platforms for protecting the rights of citizens be leveraged?

All these and many more will form the basis of our discussion on this edition of Building Bridges as we highlight issues from relevant sections of the 2020 Country Report on Human Right Practices in Nigeria with Barr. Matthew Bala.

Globally women participation in community development has been generally less than encouraging despite their numerical strength. The importance of gender in community development has been a neglected issue. The situation has grown so worst that it has generated both national and international recognition.

Women are at the center of development nexus, in most communities, women have a pivotal role in economic development and in challenging poverty. They perform many of the agricultural tasks and raise small livestock, provide firewood and water, generate substantial income for the family budget from sale of handicrafts, a variety of grown and wild foods, firewood and other products, and care for their children and homesteads.

To accomplish their tasks, women are, formally or informally, resource managers. They must be fully involved in the decision-making process regarding community development.

There are various barriers to women participation in community development to include cultural practices, low level of women education and poverty.

How can gender contribute to best for development to ensure a better living in the community?

Tell us your thoughts and feelings about gender in community development.

These will serve the bases of our discussion on this edition of village square.

Community advocates are those individuals that have an interest in the development and redevelopment of a community. The local community advocates are resident living in the community and are concerned about the welfare of the community. These individuals are not only concerned, they are active. As a matter of fact, some professionals call them community activist.

They know where the problems areas are and have a good understanding of the improvement activities that are needed.

The most important thing is that it does not matter what is done to advocate for change just as long as people take some actions that helps to achieve the change

How can a community best demand for development to ensure a better living for citizens?

Tell us your thoughts and feelings about community development.

These will serve the bases of our discussion on this edition of village square.

On the last edition of the program, we had an engaging conversation where we identified various community structures that can help strengthen peace and security in communities. This is in view of current security challenges facing many communities. Among structures identified, Communication and local security networks stood out. These structures were said to be the main need of various communities thereby leading to many avoidable acts of crimes. Similarly, callers also identified the need for building the capacity of local residents to better safeguard their communities.

The major purpose of any political authority / Government is to preserve the life and property of the citizenry who granted it the authority by surrendering their natural freedoms. The failings of government in this regard has been alarming with the National security adviser – Bagana Monguno being quoted as saying that alleged sponsors of criminality are working with persons in “critical agencies of agencies of government” to frustrate the efforts to secure the country.

Prevailing conversations have also birthed the demand for state police to better safeguard the security of lives and property across communities. However, this agitation has been downplayed by the government on various grounds. Although, section 214(1) of the 1999 constitution states that “There shall be a Police Force in Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigerian Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section, no other Police Force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof.” But the same Constitution guarantees in sections 33 – 35 the right to life, dignity of the human person and personal liberty.

In this vein, what is the role of community members in safeguarding their communities? How can citizens build capacity for this? What is the role of relevant Community stakeholders in safeguarding our communities?

This and many more will form the basis of our discussion with Mr. Obadiah Samuel and Mr. Godwin as guests

Rising insecurity has been a very big challenge across communities especially in the Middle Belt Area of Nigeria. This problem has taken various dimensions ranging from insurgency, Banditry, Kidnapping, armed robbery among other prevalent acts of criminality within the region and country at large. Many communities / Villages have been ransacked and scores have lost their lives and property. Several stakeholders and socio-cultural groups have expressed dissatisfaction at the manner and seriousness with which the government is handling these emerging challenges of insecurity across communities. while others, have also expressed dismay over the country’s security architecture to handle the matter. These conversations have also birthed the demand for state police to better safeguard the security of lives and property across communities. However, this agitation has been downplayed by the government on various grounds. Although, section 214(1) of the 1999 constitution states that “There shall be a Police Force in Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigerian Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section, no other Police Force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof.” But the same Constitution guarantees in sections 33 – 35 the right to life, dignity of the human person and personal liberty. What happens when communities remain vulnerable to attacks with little or no support from the those saddled with the responsibility of protecting them? The right to life, dignity of human person and personal liberty are inalienable and every Nigerian citizen or community has a right to do all that is within their powers (without violating the right of other persons or other communities or breaking any law) to protect these rights. What can be done when the failings of Government in this role become persistent? What can residents do to safeguard their communities in the face of rising crimes and criminality? Are there structures in the community that can be leveraged for this purpose? What are these structures? How can these structures be strengthened in the face of continuous provocative attacks? All these will form the basis of our discussion on this edition of building bridges with Mr. Obadiah Samuel and Mr. Godwin as guests.

22nd March, the world water day is celebrated, the world water day celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis, and a core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The theme of world water day 2021 is valuing water; the value water is about much more than its price, water has enormous and complex value for our households, food, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource. SDG 6 is to ensure water and sanitation for all, without a comprehensive understanding of water’s true, multi-dimensional value, we will be unable to safeguard this critical resource for the benefit of everyone.

World water day is about what water means to people, its true value and how we can better protect this vital resource.

By celebrating all the different ways water benefits our lives, we can value water properly and safeguard it effectively for everyone.

How can we best value water and safe guard water resource to ensure a better living for citizens?

Tell us your stories, thoughts and feelings about water.

Nigeria has the highest prevalence of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF) in the world; with between 400,000 and 800,000women living with the problem and about 20,000 new cases occurring annually, 90% of the cases go untreated.

Vesico-vaginal fistula is a direct communication between the bladder and vagina resulting in leakage of urine into the vagina. This is a major gynecological problem in the country. It also occurs when the blood supply to the tissues of the vagina and bladder is restricted during prolonged obstructed labour, the tissues die between these organs, forming holes through which urine can pass uncontrollably.

In most societies of third world, women are often seen as a vulnerable gender group, however, the attendant devastating and humiliating effects of all health for example VVF further makes them more vulnerable in these societies, thus exposing their emotional instability. These women often see themselves as being different from other women in several areas, in spite of the fact that their sexual freedom has already been curtailed, they find it difficult to enjoy their sexuality, other infectious diseases may also arise, and they age more easily and quickly than their contemporaries who have not had their womanhood curtailed.

This disrepairable and demoralizing condition thus destroys the psychological well being of the victims, when someone loses confidence in enjoying a quality life; she often lives a miserable life throughout her life. This condition is typical of a Nigerian who is a victim of VVF

In most Nigerian communities, affected women are ostracized from their local community, divorced, abandoned and remain childless, thereby infringing on their dignity.

How can we best curb this issue to ensure a better living for citizens?

These will serve the bases of our discussion on this edition of village square.

Environmental issues boarders on poor hygiene and poor housing, urban dwellers in some cities of Nigeria are not left out. Most of the streets walk ways have been converted to domestic waste dump sites by the inhabitants of the area on a daily bases. The culture of proper waste disposal among the urban dwellers is far from expectations, even when government and agencies responsible for disposal and management of waste made provisions for waste disposal points, the residents do not adhere to rules and regulations because they are used to the habit of dumping their waste indiscriminately.

Improper waste disposal habits starts from homes, waste are disposed around the living homes, some baggage their waste and allow them to stay for days before disposing off. When waste that is meant to be disposed off immediately after generating, are left undisposed, the tendency for it to get rotten and smell is possible. Rodents are thereby welcomed to feast on the waste, and live around home the environment. When rodents are living around the home environment, they not only feast on waste, but on anything they can easily bite and chew including food stuff which they also defecate on, and in the process transmit causative organism of Lassa fever to human beings who consume the virus infected food.

According to United Nations Human settlement Programme, improper waste disposal results in breeding places for vectors of disease, while poor levels of housing offer easy access to rodent , which is more in urban area, they further emphasis that this result in significant spread of communicable diseases or new syndromes, thus, adding to the local disease burden. However, for safety of human lives in the environment, a rethink on how to properly disposed waste generated in homes and our surrounding generally is inevitable. People need to be educated on proper waste disposal habit and also on how to manage wastes for the prevention of epidemic disease such as Lassa fever, as well as for a safe and healthy environment.

These will serve the bases of our discussion on this edition of village square.

Environmental sanitation has become a prominent issue in Nigeria. Countless sanitation edicts have been promulgated by state governments. Many of these edicts have at least temporarily had considerable impact on the lives of citizens in the major cities.

The state’s preoccupation with sanitation reached a peak in 1985 during the latter months of the Buhari regime, and Environmental Sanitation was chosen as the theme for the fifth phase of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI), announcing a one million naira prize award for the cleanest capital.

Frenzied sanitary activity ensued in all the state capitals, state sanitation task forces were organized, additional sanitation workers were hired to remove rubbish, many permanent piles of rubbish disappeared and drains which had been clogged for years were open.

Plateau State Governor, on the 29th August, 2020. Directed the immediate resuscitation of the monthly environmental sanitation to keep Jos and environs clean.

However, the increasing rate of nonchalance towards sanitation in homes, and communities is deplorable, therefore, It is safe to assert that some communities in the Jos Metropolis and Environment are dirty due to open dumping of solid waste, sewage disposal and clogged drainages, these also makes it possible for many potential vectors breed, eye-sore to public, odor in the immediate environment and environment degradation.

Several communities are faced with various challenges like clogged drainage, rubbish piles, and so on. How can we best curb these issues to better the lives of citizens?

These will serve the bases of our discussion on this edition of village square.

Open defecation, according to Wikipedia, is the human practice of defecating outside (in the open environment) rather than into a toilet. In carrying out this practice, people may make use of fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals, and perhaps, worse still, rivers, streams or other water sources.

Nigeria is among the nations in the world with the highest number of people practicing Open Defecation, estimated at over 46 million people. The practice has had negative effect on the populace, especially children, in the areas of health and education and had contributed to the country’s failure to meet the MDG target.

The government has tried several strategies to address this problem. In 2008 it adopted an intervention called “Community Led Total Sanitation”. This is a community level intervention aimed at reducing open defecation and improving toilet coverage. It draws in community leaders and ordinary residents so they can understand the risks associated with open defecation. By 2014 the intervention was deployed in all 36 Nigerian states, covering around 16% of the country’s 123,000 communities,

More often than not, people engage in open defecation either because they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional cultural practices, interestingly, this practice is not limited to inhabitants of rural, underdeveloped areas alone.

Several communities are living with many risk of open defecation, like water borne diseases, preventable deaths, and hamper education and economic growth, and also infringes on people’s privacy and dignity. How can we best curb this issue to ensure a better living for citizens?

These will serve the bases of our discussion on this edition of village square