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2027Conversation to Hold June 12 in Jos, Organisers Promise Platform for Citizens to Question Leaders
Verified Conversations and Inside Plateau have announced plans to host a major town hall meeting in Jos on June 12, 2026, under the banner #2027Conversation, with a focus on strengthening citizen participation and promoting accountability in governance across Plateau State.
The event, scheduled to take place at the Crispan Event Center in Jos as part of Nigeria’s Democracy Day activities, was unveiled during a press briefing in Rayfield.
Speaking at the briefing, the Team Lead of Verified Conversations, Samson Omale, described the initiative as a non-partisan platform designed to bridge the gap between public office holders and the people they serve.
According to him, the town hall will provide citizens with an opportunity to directly engage elected officials, ask difficult questions, conduct social audits, and demand accountability.
“We intend to have a town hall on June 12 as part of Democracy Day. We want to deepen the conversation by bringing critical stakeholders together and creating a space where citizens can ask questions, conduct social audits, and get answers from public office holders,” Omale said.
He stressed that #2027Conversation goes beyond electioneering and is intended to foster sustained discussions around governance, transparency, and effective public service delivery.
“The #2027Conversation is bigger than elections. It is about creating an independent platform where leaders can engage citizens openly, answer tough questions, and demonstrate accountability to the people they serve,” he added.
Omale also disclosed that several radio stations in Jos have partnered with the organisers to ensure wider participation through live broadcasts and other media platforms, allowing thousands of residents to follow the discussions.
He noted that future editions of the initiative would periodically assess government performance, giving citizens the opportunity to evaluate campaign promises, policies, and outcomes.
“This is not about politics or political parties. We are talking squarely about governance and accountability. We want citizens to interrogate policies, demand results, and contribute meaningfully to the development of Plateau State,” he said.
Also speaking at the briefing, Business Manager of Inside Plateau, Munta Phikwallayan, said the collaboration aims to create an inclusive platform where residents can freely express their views on governance and development issues.
“It is important to bring all stakeholders to the table, create room for discussions, and allow everyone to air their views. Through these conversations, we can collectively identify challenges and chart a path toward meaningful solutions for Plateau State,” she stated.
Phikwallayan encouraged citizens to actively participate in shaping conversations that affect their future, saying the initiative would provide Plateau people with an avenue to tell their own stories and share their experiences.
“We will listen to what people are saying, hear their concerns and complaints, and use those contributions to move the conversation forward and create pathways for progress and practical solutions,” she added.
The event is in partnership with Plateau State Ministry of Information.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says about 93 per cent of children affected by recent diphtheria outbreaks in Nigeria had not received the full recommended vaccine doses.
The agency’s Executive Director, Muyi Aina, disclosed this on Thursday during its quarterly media briefing in Abuja.
Mr Aina said an analysis of cases recorded during the outbreaks showed that most affected children were either unvaccinated or had received fewer than the three recommended doses.
“We looked at data from all the cases that we have had, and in the different outbreaks that are happening, over 90 per cent, I think 93 per cent of the children had not received the full complement of vaccines that they should receive,” he said.
He said some affected children had either received no vaccine or only one of the three recommended doses.
Mr Aina attributed the situation partly to misinformation and false rumours affecting vaccine uptake in some communities.
“The vaccines are available. We have advocated, and we have interventions to get communities to access these vaccines,” he said.
“But when people allow misinformation and false rumours to influence their behaviour, they don’t access the vaccines.”
Mr Aina said reducing vaccine-preventable diseases remained a critical priority of the agency’s immunisation programme.
Other vaccination programmes
Mr Aina said more than 18.3 million girls had received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and efforts are ongoing to expand coverage among eligible girls.
“For the human papillomavirus vaccine, over 18.3 million of our girls have now been vaccinated,” he said.
He added that the measles-rubella vaccine had reached more than 102 million children aged nine months to 14 years.
According to him, 882,000 children in Kebbi, Bayelsa, Ondo and Bauchi states had received at least the first dose of the malaria vaccine.
Mr Aina said the agency was also recording gradual improvement in routine immunisation coverage and reducing the number of zero-dose children through targeted interventions.
READ ALSO: NPHCDA records 45 million quarterly PHC visits, links 773,000 pregnant women to care
“We are reducing our number of zero-dose children through several interventions, including the identification, enumeration and vaccination of children, and through targeted interventions to reach underserved communities,” he said.
He urged caregivers, community leaders and teachers to support vaccination efforts to protect children against preventable diseases.
“I think this should be a wake-up call for all of us who are caregivers, for those of us that are community leaders and teachers, that we need to again focus on making sure that we get all of the vaccines that we need,” Mr Aina said.
He added that efforts are underway to expand the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to more facilities, increasing coverage from 8,300 to 15,000.
(NAN)
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Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, has called on residents of the North-Central region to support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in office in the 2027 general elections.
Kula made the appeal during an appearance on TVC News on Wednesday, arguing that Tinubu’s return to office would ensure continuity in the implementation of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms, describing them as essential measures for achieving sustainable economic growth and long-term prosperity. According to him, states across the North-Central region stand to benefit from the policies.
The governor’s spokesperson also linked Benue’s development efforts to the working relationship between the state and federal governments.
He explained that the Alia administration’s investments in agriculture, education and healthcare had received support from Tinubu’s economic policies, which he said had helped stimulate economic growth and increase federal allocations to state governments.
Kula further pointed to the reactivation of previously dormant industrial facilities, including Benue Brewery, Bensono Orange Juice Company and Taraku Mills, as evidence of the state government’s efforts to revive industrial activities and expand economic opportunities.
He also stated the activities of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), which has ventured into the production of bread, nails and steel as part of efforts to boost local manufacturing.
According to the governor’s aide, these initiatives demonstrate the state government’s efforts to utilise available financial resources to promote economic development.
On infrastructure, Kula listed urban renewal initiatives and road construction projects across Benue as some of the administration’s achievements.
He disclosed that the state government had commenced plans to construct three township roads in each of the 23 local government areas of Benue State.
The spokesperson added that the welfare of civil servants and pensioners remained a priority for the Alia administration.
Kula urged voters in Benue and other states in the North-Central region to support both Alia and Tinubu in the 2027 elections, expressing confidence that their continued leadership would sustain development efforts in the state, the region and the country.
2027: Benue gov’s aide urges North-Central residents to back Tinubu, Alia
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