The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has urged the Abia State Government to make workers’ welfare and the institutionalisation of civil society participation central to its development agenda.
FENRAD believes that infrastructure gains must be matched by improvements in citizens’ wellbeing and inclusive governance.
The organisation made the call in a statement on Saturday signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nwafor, to commemorate Abia State’s 35th anniversary.
While commending Governor Alex Otti’s administration for progress in road infrastructure, urban renewal, sanitation, public asset rehabilitation and security, FENRAD argued that sustainable development should be measured by how it improves the lives of workers and ordinary citizens.
The group said civil servants, teachers, health workers, pensioners, artisans, traders, women, young people and other vulnerable groups must remain at the heart of government policies.
“Workers are not merely beneficiaries of government policies; they are critical partners in delivering public services and achieving the state’s development objectives,” the organisation said.
FENRAD called on the government to sustain the prompt payment of salaries and pensions, improve working conditions, invest in staff capacity development and expand social protection measures to enhance workers’ productivity and dignity.
The organisation also advocated the creation of permanent structures that would give civil society organisations and other stakeholders a consistent role in policymaking rather than limiting engagement to occasional consultations.
“There is need for the government to institutionalise the participation of civil society organisations, professional associations, community-based organisations, traditional institutions, women and youth groups, and persons with disabilities in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of public policies.
“Civil society possesses technical expertise and grassroots knowledge that can strengthen government decision-making and improve policy outcomes,” Nwafor posited.
The group recommended establishing regular consultation platforms between the government and civil society in areas including budget formulation and monitoring, environmental governance, urban development, security, social protection, climate action, education, public health and accountability.
It stressed that such engagement should become a permanent feature of the state’s governance framework rather than an ad hoc exercise.
Beyond governance, FENRAD urged the administration to ensure that ongoing infrastructure and urban renewal projects incorporate environmental sustainability, community participation, accessibility, social safeguards and long-term maintenance.
The organisation also called for greater transparency in public expenditure and procurement, wider use of evidence-based policymaking, stronger citizen feedback mechanisms and equitable distribution of development projects across urban, rural and underserved communities.
Despite its recommendations, FENRAD acknowledged what it described as notable achievements by the Otti administration in improving road connectivity, restoring public infrastructure, enhancing sanitation and strengthening security, saying the interventions had boosted economic activity and public confidence.
The organisation maintained, however, that the next phase of Abia’s development should prioritise human development alongside physical infrastructure.
