NGO Introduces Normtrack To Osun Communities For Nominating, Tracking Govt Projects

A non-governmental organization, Community of Practice (COP) on Project Trust initiative under Connected Development, has called on stakeholders in Osun primary and secondary schools to nominate projects lacking in their community through Normtrack.

This appeal was made by the NGO during a meeting with the Governing Council of Sekona Grammar School, Sekona, at the residence of its Chairman ,who doubles as Balogun of Sekona, Chief Karem Mukaila.

Other members of the school’s Governing Council who were at the meeting are; Imam Mashood Kareem and Alhaji Waheed Agboola.

Mrs Funmilayo Akinboye, a member of COP briefed and introduced to the Governing Council of Sekona Grammar School, an overview of Connected Development and Project Trust.

Blaze Newz gathered Connected Development, a social accountability through its Project Trust initiative, early this year set up a Community of Practice, COP, comprised of journalists, researchers, activists and People Living with Disabilities (PWD) to track public projects in Osun State.

Speaking on the 2022 Zonal Intervention Project described as “Training and Empowerment of Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Osun State.” a COP member, Taiwo Fatola disclosed that the project, which cost about N20,000,000, was facilitated by Hon. Bamidele Salam, a member representing Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency at the National Assembly.

Reacting to this Chief Mukaila said he was aware of this, confirmed that Sekona Grammar School benefitted from the project.

He, however, decried the status of buildings in Sekona Grammar School and other schools in the community, like St Peters Anglican Primary School, Sekona.

But during the NGO’s visit to Sekona Grammar School, the Principal, Alhaji Sadiq Adegoke, decried the status of buildings and other facilities in the school, like the dilapidated examination hall. school laboratory and administrative block said to have been commissioned in 1979, which currently has no windows.

The principal further noted that Rep Salam has tried for the school by previously facilitating building of a block of 3 classrooms which housed the staff room where this meeting was held.

He added that the federal lawmaker provided 35 copies of English language, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology textbooks to the school in the past.

Also the Vice Principal, Mr Aremu S.A, who stated fear of victimization, said it is impossible for them to track government projects but expressed commitment to nominate projects using Nomtrack.

The school authority charged non-governmental organizations like CODE and people-focused initiatives like Project Trust to hold government and officials accountable while collaborating with the communities