By: Abdullahi Inuwa
KATSINA — The Katsina State Government has renewed its drive to deepen collaboration with community-based organisations, trade associations and other stakeholders as part of efforts to fast-track development across the state.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda made the commitment at the Government House in Katsina while receiving a delegation of the Coalition of Trade Groups and Transport Unions, led by Alhaji Tanimu Sada.
The governor expressed appreciation to the coalition and other supporters of his administration for their continued cooperation and contributions towards the development of the state.
Radda urged members of the various trade groups and associations to take advantage of opportunities provided by the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEEDA) to strengthen their businesses, expand their trades and improve their livelihoods.
He also highlighted the Community Development Programme (CDP) as a major component of his administration’s grassroots development agenda.
According to him, the initiative is designed to give communities a stronger voice in development while ensuring that government interventions reach the people at the grassroots and address their most pressing needs.
The governor stressed that the administration’s ultimate objective is to improve the standard of living of citizens, noting that development programmes must translate into tangible and sustainable benefits for ordinary residents.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Coalition of Trade Groups and Transport Unions, Alhaji Musa Yandoma, said many members of the coalition had actively participated in the 2003 elections that contributed to the emergence of the APC at various levels.
Yandoma commended Governor Radda for what he described as his commitment to grassroots development, particularly the release of funds to local governments to enable them execute projects and improve services within their communities.
Also speaking, the coalition’s Secretary, Alhaji Saminu Haruna Yandaki, disclosed that the organisation has a membership of more than 30,000 people drawn from over 70 associations.
He listed some of the groups under the coalition to include members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), tea sellers, commercial tricycle operators, popularly known as Keke Napep, and yan kuli-kuli, among others.
Yandaki said the broad membership of the coalition reflected the diversity of informal-sector workers and transport operators across Katsina State.
The meeting underscored the administration’s emphasis on building stronger partnerships with grassroots organisations as a means of ensuring that government policies and development programmes have a direct impact on the people.
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