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Government Partnership will make a difference

Published

6 years ago

September 8, 2019

Citizens’ participation in Open Government Partnership will make a difference

Mr Benjamin Okoro, the Nigeria Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Coordinator says that citizens’ participation in Government Partnership will make all the difference in the anti-corruption war by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

Okoro said this at the OGP Stakeholders Validation Retreat on the second National Action Plan (NAP) on Friday in Abuja.

The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from national and subnational governments to promote open government, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.

Okoro who was represented by Mr Stanley Achonu, the Civil Society Adviser, in his welcome address said that there is the need to involve all stakeholders in the validation process.

He said that one of the reasons for the retreat is to provide a good opportunity for strengthening and broadening ownership of the NAP.

“This retreat is to ensure active involvement of citizens and civil society organisations during the implementation process.

“It will also ensure that there are more processes and relationships-focused endeavours that aim to transform governance systems and behaviours, thereby opening them up to a wider range of participants contesting and reconfiguring power dynamics.

“Therefore, the responsiveness of government depends to a large extent on the willingness and capacity of its citizens to believe in its policies.

He said it will afford participants the opportunity to look through the draft to be sure that views of stakeholders are reflected in the action plan.

“We are going to look at the full document and make sure that we agree on the content. It is critical to consider it line by line to look at who is responsible for what.

“I encourage us to look at the contents of the document and consider the activities in it to confirm that it’s something that is achievable within the next few years and once we are ok with them, the document will be validated’’.

Mr Abu Umaru of the OGP while presenting the overview of the NAP Development said the stakeholders would review the first four years of Buhari’s administration.

“All stakeholders will look at the key objectives of the NAP which will help to enhance security, fight corruption and improve the economy“.

He also said that the four key areas of open government namely transparency (open data); accountability (responsive government), citizen participation and the use of technology, will be upheld.

“Nigerian government and citizens need to do everything possible to ensure effective implementation of the Nigeria OGP National Action Plan,“ he added.

Another stakeholder Peter Egbule said that Nigeria has been faced with the challenge of effectively utilising its resources to support equitable economic growth, effective service delivery and social cohesion.

“One of the major driving forces for the development blockade is lack of openness, transparency and accountability in governance“, he said.

He applauded the Ministry for working tirelessly in ensuring that the action plan is validated ahead of its submission by the end of September to the OGP International Secretariat.

This will ensure that Nigeria maintains an uninterrupted membership of the global body.

NAN

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NYCN: High Court Bars Gbenga, others from holding election

Published

4 hours ago

October 7, 2025

The Gleamer

Josl Ajayi

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has issued an order restraining Comrade Ademola Gbenga, Comrade Okechukwu Nnamene and others from conducting the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) election slated for October 7, pending the determination of the substantive suit before the court.

Justice J. E. Obanor, in an order dated October 6, 2025, in suit no: FCT/HC/CV/3803/2025 and motion no: M/12204/2025, sighted by our correspondent, directed the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to enforce the court’s order.

The claimants/applicants in the case are the Incorporated Trustees of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, representing the existing leadership of the Council.

The defendants include Comr. Ademola Gbenga, Comr. Okechukwu Nnamene, Comr. Abel Abaji, Comr. Alex Allen Akin, Comr. Hassan Mamman, the Inspector General of Police, and the Department of State Services.

It would be recalled that the NYCN, during its National Elective Convention held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, from September 20 to 22, re-elected Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo as President alongside other executives.

However, dissatisfied with the Sukubo-led leadership, Gbenga and his allies formed a parallel group and planned to conduct another election in Abuja on October 7.

Consequently, the court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo regarding the leadership of the NYCN, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The Order read in part, “Upon hearing the Motion Ex parte and the accompanying affidavit of. Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo listening to P. Ulofu ESQ., of counsel to the Applicants praying this Honourable Court for the following:-

“An Order of Interim Injunction restraining the Respondents (Gbenga and others) or any person(s) acting through them or on their behalf from conducting the scheduled election of the 7th day of October, 2025 or taking any further step concerning the subject matter of this suit respectively pending the hearing and determination of the motion on Notice.

“An Order of Interim Injunction directing the Respondents to maintain the status quo with respect to the leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, pending the determination of and determination of the motion on notice.

“An Order directing the 6th (IGP) and 7th (DSS) Defendants/Respondents to enforce the Order of Court restraining the 1st to 5th (Gbenga and others) Defendants, their privies, agents, or howsoever called, conducting the scheduled election of the 7 th day of October, 2025 or taking any further step concerning the subject matter of this suit respectively pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

“And for such further or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this suit and or application.

“The court ordered as follows: Application is hereby granted and order made as prayed. Case is adjourned to 16th October, 2025 for hearing of Motion on Notice.”

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