North-West Public Independent Conciliator engages with journalists, community-based organizations
In line with its mission to sensitize and educate the population of the North-West Region on its role, mission, and functioning, the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator held two information seminars with journalists and community-based organizations on 13 November and 14 November respectively.
The essence of the information seminar was to orient journalists and shape the work of Civil Society Organizations on the field vis-a-vis accompanying the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator of the North-West Region in reaching its goals and missions, preaching the message of good governance in councils.
Journalists in the North-West Region expressed satisfaction about how the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator considers the media as a major partner in realizing its missions, reaching out to the local councils in all Seven Divisions of the North-West Region.
Pressmen and Women listened keenly to experts in their different presentations. Dr. Alfred Wuku Kudi, Research Officer No. 4, did a presentation on the Creation, Organization, and Functioning of the Office. Compliant Management Officer no. 3, Ndam Mbah Blaise presented on The Substantive and Functional Mandates of the Public Independent Conciliator. Mr Ngodji Rais, Executive Officer no.1 talked about the Complaint Management Procedure and the Conciliatory Process of the Office.
Dr. Tilarious ATIA, Research Officer No. 3 made a case for journalists to engage with the PIC. He said in their watchdog role, journalists can police councils and achieve good governance, a wish of the PIC.
Journalists posed questions relating to the presentations and also made comments about some of the observations they made on the field while they went about reporting. Some of them wanted to know about the tools used by the Community-Based Assistants put in place by the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator to produce the data on their respective councils. Others thought that the Public Independent Conciliator should sanction recalcitrant or defaulting Mayors, an action which according to them will cause other Mayors to sit up.
The Public Independent Conciliator made a clarion call that the institution is meant to solve problems not make or create more tension and that the decree creating the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator gives him the power to call mayors and any other authority to order if the need arises.
He urged Journalists to report accurately on the activities of the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator so that it will reflect best in the Annual Reports produced by the office and also trigger mayors to manage councils in a way that satisfies the demands of the local population of the North-West Region.
Information Seminar with Civil Society Organizations
The same scenario was for Civil Society Organizations on 14 November 2024. This time around another team of experts from the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator North-West Region presented on the same topics.
Fongwa Kesten Ngum, Complaint Management Officer no.1 presented on the creation, organization, and functioning.
Compliant Management Officer no. 2, Bar. Dimla Hanson presented on The Substantive and Functional Mandates of the Public Independent Conciliator.
Juli Yauba Bobo, Complaint Management Officer no.4 talked about the Complaint Management Procedure and the Conciliatory Process of the Office while Mr Ndi Nelson, Research Officer no.1 presented on Engaging with the Public Independent Conciliator, North-West Region.
Participants were thrilled by the invitation of the Public Independent Conciliator. Some of them said it was their first time visiting the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator or even getting to know what the office stands for.
They also appreciated the Public Independent Conciliator for the opportunity given to work in synergy and produce better results in line with council functioning and preaching the role and missions of the office.
Similar to the questions raised by journalists, some of them were preoccupied with the participation of Village Development Committees in Council sessions and whether their identity would be protected if they reported a case to the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator, alluding to the security context of the North-West Region.
The Public Independent Conciliator and presenters responded to all questions raised and they left the Information reassured of a platform to be created for more interaction and information sharing.