Background
The people of Lagos are not immune to the myriad challenges faced in Nigeria. These problems range from bad infrastructure, deteriorating health facilities and educational institutions, poverty, bad environmental conditions etc. These challenges are exacerbated by the absence of rule of law, bad governance, election irregularities and many others. This programme focuses on strategies for combatting the challenges impeding democracy and good governance in the Archdiocese of Lagos.
Overall objective
The programme aims at promoting and strengthening democracy and good governance in the Archdiocese of Lagos.
Components and Specific Objectives
To effectively deploy its services and have a greater impact, the programme is made up of the following activities, namely:
1. Democracy and Governance, whose objective is to promote popular participation in political activities at the grassroots level;
2. Civil Peace, whose objective is to sensitize and empower the civil society in target areas to transform conflicts in a non-violent way
Strategy / Approaches
To effectively deploy its services and have a greater impact, the programme is made up of the following activities, namely:
– Undertaking public interest litigation in respect of governmental policies or social practices that infringe on the rights and wellbeing of the generality of the people of Lagos State in particular, and Nigeria as a whole.
– Conducting seminars and workshops, and also researching and publishing information relating to good governance issues.
– Conducting civic enlightenment programmes, especially at the grassroots level and secondary schools, as a way of keeping the generality of people informed of their socio-economic, political and cultural rights, and also enhancing peoples’ participation in the governance of their lives.
– Undertaking systematic monitoring of the democratic process in Lagos State and Nigeria, in all of the 3 major stages: pre-election, election and post-election periods.
– Organizing Town Hall meetings, during which elected representatives are made to face the electorate at the grassroots to explain their programmes and stewardship.
– Undertaking the monitoring of the implementation of the annual state budget, as a way of instilling transparency, accountability and responsibility in the management of public funds by the government and her agencies.
– Advocating for economic, social and cultural rights for the populace, using the outcomes of Budget Analysis and Monitoring as veritable tools.