SAVI Tasks Town Presidents, Other Stakeholders on Political Debate

 Greg Anyaegbudike, team leader of SAVI

The State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) has charged the Presidents of the 177 communities and other Stakeholders in Anambra state to evolve strategies and modalities for conducting political debate

among House of Assembly and National Assembly candidates of various political parties in their locale.

SAVI in a meeting with the Anambra State Association of  Town Unions (ASATU), presidents General, people with disabilities, the media and women group explained that the such fora will enable voters ascertain how the candidates intends to inclusively relate with their people in the course of their work if elected.

The State Team Leader of SAVI, Mr. Greg Anyaegbudike regretted that the candidates and the community have not come together since the electioneering to know what they have in stock for the communities they are going to represent, adding that people living with disabilities is not in any way in their agenda .

He pointed out that the essence of the meeting is to borrow a leave from Onitsha constituency who has successfully organized its own debate that attracted over 3,000 electorates and candidates.

“So this gathering is for political forum plan, which includes pre-political forum activities, political forum activities and post political forum activities. We latter divided the participants into groups in their various constituencies for the aim of strategizing implementation. We want them to be very close to the electorates, to share the views and challenges as it affects them in their constituencies.

“SAVI” he continued, “is a demand-side governance programme, operating in ten states in Nigeria. We support civil society groups, media houses and State House of Assembly and elected representatives to be informed, credible and effective agents of citizen’s voice and accountability and as a result, our partners are playing an effective part in promoting more responsive, accountable and inclusive state governance, and making a difference to the lives of people in their states” he said.

On her own, the Programme Manager, JDPC, Awka, Mrs Eucharia Anaekwe described ASATU as a powerful tool to reach the electorates, which she said informed the decision of partnering with SAVI and other partners to call for the sensitization and awareness meeting in that regard.
The debate, according to Anaekwe will enable the community and electorates know the manifestoes of the candidates.