The Community Association for Grassroots Transformation (CAGRAT), as a non-governmental and non-partisan organisation, was convinced that government in a representative democracy is a shared responsibility between the leaders and the followers.
The President General of CAGRAT, Engr. Dagaci Mohammed Etsugaie, stated this at the inauguration of the leadership, lecture, and national conference of the association, which took place at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna at the weekend.
He noted that CAGRAT aimed at assisting and complementing the efforts of leaders and government in creating opportunities for solving the developmental challenges of local communities.
In this regard, he explained that the followers must be conscious to participate in policy formulation or agenda setting, noting that it will give the citizens the justification to enforce responsibility on the representatives to make them accountable.
According to him, this is important "so that the real essence of democracy, which is good government for the betterment of the citizens, is not lost.".
He pointed out that the association has over the years toiled with increasing impatience occasioned by the envisioned prospects of the thought and desire to have the opportunity to play our roles in the unity and development of our communities and the nation at large.
"Our people have long waited for a clear and well-organised movement where they will have the opportunity to play their roles for the positive transformation of their communities and the nation," he said.
He said that the association deployed the democratic will of a well-organised grassroots social-oriented movement to assist in designing a roadmap to guide towards unity and general development within the ongoing democratic process.
The ceremony, according to Engr. Dagaci, marks the peak of a long wish of a generation of zealous, ambitious, and development-hungry groups of progressive-minded individuals brought together to put to good use their knowledge, civilization, creativity, and willpower needed for their contribution to the modern development and growth of their various communities.
Speaking earlier, the Governor of Niger State, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, charged the executive members of the association to partner with his administration to curtail the hoarding of agricultural commodities in the state.
He reaffirmed his administration's commitment to ensuring the production of foods through his agricultural agenda and the transformation of the green economy of Niger State, while assuring them of his administration's commitment to the transformation of the state in its developmental strides.
Highlights of the occasion included the inauguration of members of the executive committee and lecture delivered by eminent scholars.