By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
Geared towards examining prospects of collaboration to enhance service delivery to users of the regional and local councils, the office of the Public Independent Conciliator for the South West region has on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 engagedyouth leaders and youth associationson a path of fruitful collaborations.
In her opening statement, the Public Independent Conciliator for the SWR, Telelen Dorothy AtabongepouseMotazeopined that the youths are the major stakeholders in the efforts to enhance local governance and guarantee the delivery of quality services through regular consultations and collaborations. She explained that the office of the Public Independent Conciliator is the institutional mechanism created by the state to examine and ensure the amicable settlement of disputes or misunderstandings between service users and the regional and council administrations.
She added that her office aims at using dialogue and mediation to enhance good governance in order to meet the expectations of citizens for quality services from regional and local authorities. “We hope that the Youths will bring their creativity, resourcefulness and energy into play and become strong partners in the execution of our mission. This is a medium for our office to work together with youths, foster peace, unity and enhance local governance for the overall welfare of the population of our region”.
She urged the youth leaders and heads of youth associations to serve as a relay to their peers and the community about the existence and missions of the office of the Public Independent Conciliator. “Youth organizations can play an important role through innovative suggestions on how to best address some of the preoccupations whose solutions are likely to have a positive impact on the lives of citizens”.
The governor of the South West Region, Bernard OkaliaBilai who presided over the event noted that the youths represent over 60% of the population in general terms and close to 70% of the active population. “The youths are therefore important stakeholders in the priority actions of regional and local authorities. They also have the potential and are capable of positive initiatives and beneficial actions for themselves and the population in general.
While inviting the youths to put their creativity and potentials to useful actions, Governor Bilai equally exhorted the youth leaders to show that they are capable and ready to make their own inputs in important areas of decision making at the local level.
In an interview with the press, the Public Independent Conciliator for the SWR said the youths are a very important arm of the society considering that they occupy a huge percentage in the population of Cameroon. “The youths are the future leaders and those who can bring a lot of change if they go out and help transmit information about the missions of OPIC to their collaborators. Creating this platform of collaboration with them is going to enhance the spread and the sensitization of the missions of this office which are very important to the population of the SWR.
Presentation were done by Fonju Bernard and MrEwu, Secretary General of the regional body. Fonju Bernard explained the core missions of the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator.
Talking to the media after the seminar he stated that it is very relevant for the youths to be aware of the existence and the missions of OPIC. “The youths are the primary beneficiaries of these services provided by regional and local authorities. So, it is but rational and logical that OPIC engages the youths in order for them to be aware that they stand to deserve optimal and maximum benefits from the services rendered by the OPIC that oversees and follows up to ensure that quality services are delivered to all inhabitants as service users” he explained.
Kengsta Collins of Soweyol and ArreySerahNdip are some of the participants who appreciated the great initiative by the OPIC to engage the youths as concerns the vision and missions of OPIC. The promised to take the good news back home to their peers that there is an office to solve their problems at the level of the regional and local councils.