Civil Society Organization on Community and Humanitarian Empowerment initiative, CSCHEI has called on both the Federal and State Governments to ensure the domestication of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure proper implementation of their policies and programmes.
The Director-General of CSCHEI, Hon Kunle Yusuff MON, gave the charge on Thursday at the induction, inauguration and training workshop organized for all the state’s coordinators of CSCHEI across the federation in Abuja.
Yusuff stated that the domestication of SDGs in each state will not only demonstrate commitment to the overall implementation of the SDGs but ensure the timely establishment of institutional frameworks that will enhance development at all levels.
“We are going to give you an materials that will identify you, but you will also identify yourselves to some offices at the state level. Your first point of action is to have a meeting with the state government in your respective states. After that, you will further create an administrative relationship with the Commissioner of Police, State Director and Civil Defence Commandant General in the state for them to identify with you on the mandate given to you by this establishment.
“Your primary assignment is to work with registered NGOs that are on social and community humanitarian development.
“Any NGO that does not fall within this range is not among your mandate. So, when you are talking, you are talking based on the mandate and authority given to you by this establishment.
“Your primary constituencies are five. One, when you have a meeting with the state government and the State Secretary to the Government or whosoever is an appointee of the government on Sustainable Development Goals. You create a relationship with the Chairman of Universal Basic Education; Chairman of Secondary School Basic Education; Chairman of Water Corporation; Commissioner for Budget and Planning; Commissioner for Environment in your state a list of all the ministries and agencies that align completely with SDGs.
” We call them line ministries and you will discuss with the focal person on SDGs the need to work with the Technical Programme Officer.
“After the above, you will go and meet with the chairman of ALGON, who will give you the platform to meet with all the chairmen of the local government areas in the state, to nominate the LG Technical Programme Officers to you, who you will be working within the local government.
“The essence of this is that this establishment is trying to make sure that SDGs are domesticated in the local government authority. You are going to be like a Supervisor and your technical officer will be a supervisor in their budgeting. For any programme they want to do on education, he would know the SDG apparatus in the programme.
“Also, you need to identify the Community Development Council. You will be their friend to ensure that training is given to them. Most importantly, whatever you want to do, make sure you get approval from the Headquarters by sending a circular. The reason why this is done is because we are trying to do everything within our means to make sure SDGs is being domesticated in our communities.
“Henceforth, see yourself as an agent of development in your state.”
While delivering their lectures, the Director Training and Strategy, Dr Babangida Hamidu and Mr Moses Manjuku Consultant and Governance spoke extensively on the roles that civil Society plays in building and strengthening democracy.
According to them, CSO is to promote political participation by educating the masses about their rights and obligations as democratic citizens.
