Enoch Stephen
On Saturday, Stallion Times convened a roundtable discussion focused on constituency projects in Kano State.
The event at the City Center Hotel was aimed at enhancing citizen engagement in all constituency projects, which are integral to improving the living standards of constituents and promoting the dividends of democracy.
In his welcome address, Isiyaku Ahmed, the Editor-in-Chief of Stallion Times, underscored constituents’ need to take ownership of the projects within their communities.
According to him, the broad objectives of the round table were to promote citizens’ engagement in initiating constituency projects, to promote community ownership of constituency projects, and to mutually co-create tracking & monitoring templates for constituency projects.
“Tracking and monitoring these projects from inception to completion is crucial for enhancing their effectiveness,” Ahmed added.
He emphasized that “the media and civil society have the responsibility to enlighten the grassroots that constituency projects are not gifts from representatives but rather their rights.”
Stallion Times Boss called for collaborative advocacy to ensure the proper utilization of funds allocated for constituency projects, urging participants to investigate the processes involved to foster tangible societal changes.
Dr. Abdulsalam Kani, the roundtable facilitator, echoed these sentiments and encouraged citizens to utilize www.kanotracker.com a website designed to help monitor the implementation of constituency projects.
He highlighted the importance of consistently engaging lawmakers to promote transparency and accountability, given that the resources used for these projects are public funds.
“Many legislators struggle with project execution or fail to complete them because there is no community ownership,” Dr. Kani noted.
He suggested that citizens engage with their representatives, whether formally or informally, to remind them that their funds are being monitored.
“If a citizen observes any anomalies—such as contract inflation, non-execution, or the use of substandard materials—they can report these issues to the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) or Independent Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)” he advised.
The roundtable also featured a panel discussion where civil society representatives and media professionals discussed the challenges of executing constituency projects and proposed actionable solutions.
Rakiya Abba Tahula, Executive Director of the Interfaith Peace Foundation, stressed the role civil society should play in holding the government accountable.
“We must ensure that government actions align with the interests of the people, and it’s our responsibility to demand transparency,” she asserted.
Saheed Jimoh, a News Editor at Grassroots Parrot, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the media’s role in using journalism to speak truth to power.
“The media must shine a light on the processes surrounding constituency projects, ensuring that the voices of the people are heard,” he stated.
The constituency projects roundtable was supported by the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism and Funded by the MacArthur Foundation as part of the Get Involved, Dialogue, and Improve (G-DRIP) Project.
Participants who spoke with Stallion Times reporter, left the event with a renewed commitment to advocate for greater transparency and accountability in the management of constituency projects, recognizing that active citizen engagement is crucial to the success of democracy in Kano State.
