The Chairman of the Delta State Local Government Service Commission, Hon.(Dcn)Joseph Otirhue has called on the government and stakeholders to strengthen Community development which is fundamental to achieving sustainable growth at the grassroots level.
Otirhue made this call when he flagged off a 2-day seminar, organized by the Commission in collaboration with Yenikas Nigeria Company for 64 Community Development Officers, Inspectors and Social Welfare Officers serving in the Delta Central Senatorial District of the State.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Chairman who was represented by the 3rd member of the Commission, Chief Philomena Ededey said, communities across the nation face increasing pressures ranging from economic hardship and inequality to unemployment,social exclusion and inadequate access to essential services.
Therefore there is an urgent need to strengthen Community development and social welfare interventions in order to sustain growth at the grassroots.
Speaking further, Otirhue said community development is a people-centered approach that empowers individuals and groups to take collective actions for the betterment of their lives. Furthermore, he said social welfare services provide safety nets that protect the vulnerable,the disadvantaged and the marginalized from falling further into deprivation.
He noted that these two pillars create the foundation upon which inclusive,equitable and lasting progress can be built.
While addressing the participants, the Chairman said true development begins when Communities are given a voice in shaping the programmes and policies that affect them adding that interventions fail often times ,when they are designed without adequate input from the people they intend to serve.
In order to strengthen Community Development, the Commission Boss said, the government and all stakeholders must shift to participatory models that emphasize ownership, accountability and self reliance.
The Chairman enjoined all participants not to see the seminar as just a gathering of ideas but a springboard for actions adding that the future of sustainable development rests not in grand projects alone but in the everyday lives of ordinary people at the grassroots.
He stressed that when communities are empowered, social welfare systems were robust and local economies were thriving ,then sustainable growth is inevitable.
He therefore encouraged the participants to commit to strengthening community development and social welfare services so that the grassroots will grow and flourish in the spirit of equity, resilience and sustainability.
The seminar which took place at the Cletano Hotel and Suites, Osubi, Delta State, was well attended with seasoned Resource persons who took participants on various topics.
