The concept of the town hall meeting is borrowed from the traditional town meeting style of government used in New England. In this style, the citizens of a town get together to decide on issues of importance to the community, such as budgeting, purchase of new equipment for emergency services and so forth. All the members present can vote, and they can also discuss issues directly with elected officials. The town meeting system continues to be used in many small New England towns, with citizens also voting in regional, state and national elections.
Town hall meeting is an informal public meeting that gives members of a community an opportunity to get together to discuss emerging issues and voice concerns and preferences for their community. A typical meeting is attended by both citizens and officials, giving everyone a chance to talk personally in a relaxed environment about the things, which matter to them.
When the meeting is opened, people in the group can ask questions or bring issues up, and the officials and other members of the group may respond. When heated issues arise, the atmosphere may become less orderly, but usually members of the group are capable of checking each other to ensure that everyone is heard.
Participating in a town hall meeting can be an excellent experience. People of all ages and backgrounds show up at such meetings, bringing their own perspectives and issues to the table. Especially for people new to a community, this can be a great way to learn about the issues facing the community, and to get an idea of who holds most power and influence in the community, as well.
Many politicians have used town hall meeting as an excellent public relations tactic. By organizing such a meeting along a stump tour, a politician can indicate that he or she really cares about the issues, which constituents face, and the politician also has a chance to meet people directly. For personable politicians, this can be a great way to win votes and followers, as people are often impressed by politicians they meet in person, especially candidates for major offices.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State governor, has shown that he is a listening governor, by organizing town hall meetings and touring 132 communities to collate their needs ahead of the preparation of the 2014 budget.
On the first day of the tour, the governor held town hall meetings in communities, such as Ilasa, Ikun Oba, Araromi Oke, Eda Ile, Kota Ekiti, Omuo Oke, Ayegunle-Ahan, Isinbode and Omuo Ekiti, where the leaders of the communities presented their needs to the governor for inclusion in the 2014 appropriation.
Speaking during the meetings in Ekiti East Local Government, Fayemi said the meeting was imperative to feel the people's pulse, get their inputs for the preparation of the 2014 appropriation bill and inspect community projects.
Fayemi, who inaugurated some projects, including a civic centre, a block of health workers' quarters and a community viewing centre at Ikun-Oba, Eda Ile and Araromi-Oke respectively, also inspected some self-help projects for which the state government recently disbursed N600 million as grants-in-aid to the communities.
The governor, while responding to the various requests of the communities, which ranged from autonomy to other basic amenities, assured them of the inclusion of many of the requests in the budgeting process.
On the request of some communities for road network, Fayemi assured that many new roads would be constructed, while existing ones that are yet to be completed would be completed as soon as possible.
He stressed that his administration would leave no stone unturned in achieving its target of making all parts of the state accessible through good roads by 2014.
Also in Ikere, the governor was warmly recieved. There, he inaugurated projects, which included 10 units of lock up shops at Afao Ikere, two new health centres at Kajola and Ogabodi, two new halls at the Ogoga palace and a newly constructed skills, acquisition centre at the School for the Blind, Ikere.
However, the community requested the dualisation of Ikere-Akure Road to the state's boundary, construction of a modern market, resuscitation of Ikere Quarry, fire service station, reconstruction of Ikere-Ilawe Road, Ikere-Ijan Road, and Ikere-Ijare Road leading to Ondo State.
Responding to the requests, Fayemi said he is commitment to fulfilling the promises he made concerning the projects being done in the communities, stressing: “Our word is our bond”.
He said enumeration work had begun on the proposed dualisation of Ikere-Akure Road, and the state government had approached the Federal Government for approval to construct the road, adding that efforts were in top gear to finalise agreement on the construction.
On water, he said that his government was working to revive the EU water project in Afao-Ikere so that it could serve the need of the community pending when ongoing work on the water sector would be completed.
Fayemi explained that the state was already in talks with the Federal Government to get the dam completed, even as he opined that it would be included in the 2014 budget of the Federal Government.
He assured that his administration had not reneged on its promise to build a modern market in the community, but explained that the original site for the proposed market is small and may require the demolition of nearby buildings to create space for the market; adding that government had jettisoned demolition and therefore decided to relocate the market from Oju Oja to Odo Osun area of the town.
During his meeting with 13 communities in Ikole Local Government Area, Fayemi said his pact with the people was to “do government with them and not do government to them”, hence the need for their inputs in how they are governed.
He added that it is inappropriate for a governor to just sit down in the state capital and decide what he feels the people need, while their needs may actually be at variance with the governor's perspective.
At Ipere Ekiti, the community pleaded with the governor for the completion of Iludin-Ipere-Ido Road, which was abandoned by the previous administration, the Ipere-Isan Road and extension of electricity to new areas in the town.
Fayemi assured that government will include the needs in the proposed budget, even as he many of the things requested by the communities are basic things government needs to provide for the citizens.
He stressed that his administration will not shirk in discharging its duties to the people.
Also in Iyemero community, the people appreciated what the governor has done for them. There, Fayemi inaugurated seven projects, which included a police station at Ijesa-Isu, a community information centre at Ilamo, a health centre at Otunja, blocks of classrooms and an examination hall at Odo Oro and the installation of a 200KVA transformer at Oke Ayedun, among others.
Encomium was also showered on Fayemi as he visited Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, community leaders endorsed him for re-election, saying the state would witness greater level of development should the governor continue beyond 2014.
Oba Boluwade Adebiyi, Alare of Are Ekiti, Fayemi deserved the nod of the communities because “no single town, village or community can claim not to have been touched by his government”.
Oba Adebiyi, who stressed that the state had witnessed economic development, thanked Fayemi for giving them the opportunity to benefit from the state rural development programme, which has transformed the state. “Ekiti has never had it so good. Without reservation or fear, Fayemi is the best governor Ekiti ever had”, the monarch said.
In Ilejemeje Local Government Area, the communities requested employment of their youths into the civil service. Commenting on this, Fayemi said government is currently recruiting into the teaching and civil service, but does not have the capacity to absorb all unemployed youths.
The governor explained that government is attracting investors to the state so that the teeming unemployed youths, can get job opportunities in the private sector.
Fayemi, however, emphasized the readiness of government to support youths, who want to go into small scale businesses and become employers of labour, even as it has supported young entrepreneurs in the state, including Femi Fabiyi, the owner of Ekiti Empire Feeds.
Dr. Fayemi said government should be about the masses, who yearn for development; hence the importance his administration has attached to the opinions of the grassroots about their needs.
The tour enabled the governor to know what his people are yearning for and he informed them about his plan to make life better for them.
Meanwhile, Ekiti State government has approved N711million contracts to execute projects as part of its transformation agenda. Briefing reporters at the end of the 26th State Executive Council meeting in Ado Ekiti, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo, said that the approved sum is to complete ongoing projects across the state as well as execute new ones.
Mr. Ekundayo highlighted the approved projects to include a N71million contract for the reconstruction of the intra-roads to Agric Olope ultra-modern market complex in Ado Ekiti in order to ensure easy access to the market and boost economic activities in the area.
According to him, the State Executive Council also approved N154million for the clearing of about 700 hectares of land in a bid to expand the agricultural programme of the state government.
The commissioner said government in addition approved the review of the contract sum for the completion of the rehabilitation of the Ori – Apata- Adebayo Road in Ado Ekiti from N93 million to N129 million with a fiat that the job must be completed within three
months.
He said approval was given as well for the award of contract for the rehabilitation of Oye-Ikun-Otun Road at a cost of N255 million, adding that the work is expected to be completed within four months.
Stressing the determination of the Fayemi led administration to achieve the target of making all communities accessible by good roads in 2014, the Information Commissioner said that the Council also considered and approved the construction of culverts in some locations at Ikere and Ado Ekiti at the cost of N102million.
Ekundayo, who noted that the culverts would be completed within four months, said that the approval of the State Executive Council was part of efforts to consolidate the achievements of the Fayemi-led administration on road rehabilitation and reconstruction in the state.
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