Obaseki advocates bottom-top approach in governance

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has advocated the bottom-top approach in governance at all levels to ensure rapid development especially in the rural areas.

Obaseki who canvassed this while declaring open the All Progressive Congress (APC) Executive Retreat in Benin on Friday said this was necessary to avoid crises in the rural areas.

He said: “we cannot continue with our top-down approach of governance which has over the years not taken democracy to the base. That is why we have the crises in most communities today.

”Let us use the logic of democracy which is government of the people, by the people and for the people to govern the people at the base.

“We need to go to them and empower them because they elected us to serve. Let us go back to the basis and start ward development.

“Let us get people who live in those wards to organise themselves and tell us what their needs are and what government needs to do.”

The governor charged the APC executive to use the two days retreat to brainstorm and come up with sustainable models that would drive governance at the grassroots.

“I therefore charge you to interrogate and discuss the nature, structure, financing and management, as well as the role of APC and politics in general, in an emerging democracy.

“You must now give the people a reason to vote.” the governor said.