Civil Society Organizations Urged To Offer Constructive Criticisms

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By Amos Odeh,Yenagoa 

Saviour Ibegi, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Community and Chieftaincy Affairs, has called on civil society organisations to continually keep government on its toes with constructive criticism to deepen good governance in the country.

Ibegi said that CSOs and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) must ask questions on how public office holders run government in order to foster peace and development in society.

He was speaking as chairman on the occasion of the 10th anniversary and development summit of the Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (BANGOF) in Yenagoa with the theme, “Sustainable-Driven Development: Key to Economic Growth.”
BANGOF, a coalition of over 50 NGOs, was established 10 years ago with the objective of bringing CSOs and NGOs under one umbrella to improve the capacity of the organisations to function effectively and help in the development of the state.
Ibegi stressed the need for CSOs to put pressure on government and demand transparency and accountability, especially in the area of income and expenditure of public funds.

The commissioner, who stated that government could also fund NGOs like BANGOF to achieve its objectives, commended the coalition for being alive to its duties in the past 10 years.
In his welcome remarks, Robinson Kuroghobogha, chairman of BANGOF, said the group had not received any financial assistance from government in the past 10 years.
According to him, the coalition had despite enormous challenges continued to contribute to the development of policies to enhance good and participatory governance, build and strengthen capacities of citizens, communities and public servants, among others in the state.

Robinson, however, expressed appreciation to some ministries, departments and agencies in Bayelsa, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), Pact Nigeria, Social Action, ANEEJ, NACGOND, PIND, SPDC, the Dutch Embassy, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, media and the people of the state, describing them as “very strategic partners”.
He promised that BANGOF would not relent in its effort to catalyze development in the state and ensure the rights of the people were protected and promoted in the issues of governance.

Delivering a goodwill message, Tonye Isenah, chief whip, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, said it was wrong for the government to view CSOs as opposition, adding that BANGOF was instrumental to the inclusion of public hearing in the legislative activities of the House.

He said “There is need to bridge the gap. You cannot perform in government if you do not tolerate criticism. BANGOF has made valuable input into the Bayelsa Assembly legislative process. 

“BANGOF pioneered the advocacy for transparency and accountability practice in the state. The government should work with BANGOF and CSOs.”

Others who also gave goodwill messages at the event were Dr. Patterson Ogon, one of the founders of BANGOF, Inemo Samiama, former country director of SDN, representatives of the SPDC, PIND, NACGOND and the state commissioner of Police.
In a lecture on the theme of the summit, Ogon submitted that institutions of government were not addressing the concerns of the people, stressing that lack of checks and criticism make public office holders privatize power, leading to bad governance.