Residents of Demsa Local Government area of Adamawa State have urged the government to as a matter of urgency provide social security, address dearth of portable water, rehabilitate and construct new roads, address decay in health and education sectors and provide empowerment to the teeming youths, women and other vulnerable groups in the area.
The position was canvassed during a town hall meeting between the constituents and member representing Demsa State constituency, Hon. Kate Mamuno Raymond, which took place on Saturday at Galaxy hotel in Demsa.
The town hall meeting organised by the International Republican Institute (IRI), and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was facilitated to enhance communication between the lawmaker and her constituents so as to engender the accrual of democratic dividends to the people.
The town hall meeting was preceded by an earlier meeting between the duo on Wednesday where members of the community where asked to come up with a list of their community’s priority needs to the member so that actions could be expedited for their resolution for the benefit of the communities and solidification of democracy.
During the event, representatives of the 10 wards of the constituency were given opportunity to project their needs so that solutions could be proffered.
Responding to the demands of the various communities, the member noted that the purpose of her election was to attend to the needs of the people with a view to addressing them and provide good governance.
“This is a town hall meeting and you have heard the needs of the people. I’m here to interface with them and to hear their problems and their needs in Demsa constituency.
” I thank God everyone has spoken. They have said their needs and priorities and we are going to take them up ,” she said.
The member said she will ensure transparent deployment of he constituency allowance to ensure that those projects that can be executed within the threshold of the allowance are executed while promising to lobby the executive to implement those that are beyond the threshold of the constituency allowance.
“I intend to lobby and after that we have constituency allowance. From there we can do some work for the people. What I cannot do within these funds I will lobby the executive governor to ensure democracy is put in place in Demsa,” she said.
She urged the people to remain peace loving and to defer to constituted authorities noting that no development can be achieved in an atmosphere of uncertainty and rancour.
“I told them to be calm and not take laws into their hands. I have spoken with the speaker on the social insecurity in the area and he has promised to take it up,” she said.
Commending the lawmaker and IRI, a community leader, Bishop Denham D Abba said the latest effort at fostering understanding between leaders and the community was the first in the history of the constituency.
He thanked the member for moving with the people urging other elected people to emulate the gesture.
He called on the people to imbibe the spirit of maintenance culture so that projects executed for them could have maximum impact.
Abba urged the people to respect each other and avoid selfish tendencies which usually result in conflict urging both farmers and herders to respect each other’s interest for enduring peace to prevail.
