By Henry Ojo

OSOGBO – The Executive Director of the Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development (IICSD), Mr. Jare Tiamiyu, has urged local government workers in Osun State to remain loyal to the people they serve rather than to politicians or political office holders, saying the essence of public service is to protect the public interest through transparency and accountability.

Tiamiyu made the call on Friday during a media engagement themed, “Reporting for Grassroots Accountability: Strengthening Osun Local Government Through Public Interest Journalism,” held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Hall in Osogbo. Newsworld reports that the programme brought together journalists, media professionals and civil society organisations to explore how investigative and data-driven journalism can strengthen accountability in local government administration.

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According to Tiamiyu, local government employees are custodians of public trust and must prioritise the welfare of citizens above political loyalties. He urged council workers to monitor the utilisation of public funds allocated to their respective local governments and ensure that resources intended for community development are managed transparently and responsibly.

He stressed that achieving effective grassroots governance requires collaboration among government institutions, the media, civil society organisations and citizens, adding that unrestricted access to public information remains essential for promoting accountability and improving service delivery at the local level.

The IICSD Executive Director also challenged journalists to intensify public interest reporting by embracing investigative and data-driven journalism to track public spending, expose inefficiency and keep citizens informed about government activities. He showcased the organisation’s digital transparency platforms, InsightOpenLG and AmoyeAIBot, which provide residents with access to information on local government budgets, expenditure and governance activities.

Tiamiyu further called on the Osun State House of Assembly to review the state’s local government electoral laws to address existing legal and administrative gaps affecting council elections. He also appealed to political stakeholders to resolve issues surrounding local government administration through dialogue rather than partisan confrontation.

Participants at the engagement commended the initiative, describing it as a valuable platform for equipping journalists with practical skills in investigative, data-driven and accountability reporting, while promoting transparency and greater citizen participation in grassroots governance.