The population of the South-West Region is becoming increasingly aware of the existence and missions of the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator. A study carried out by the institution in 2023 to evaluate the degree of awareness and perception of the entire population of the South-West Region on its services in all six divisions indicated that the institution’s sensitization efforts are yielding fruits and registering progress.
The results of the study presented to the Public Independent Conciliator, Mme Telelen Dorothy Atabong spouse Motaze and staff on Monday 08 January 2024 reveals that the population are more receptive to the sensitization efforts of the institution.
In terms of the different administrative units, while the Lebialem Division registered the number of persons most aware of the existence of the institution, Ndian Division on its part recorded the highest number of individuals most aware of the missions of OPIC including the first two of its specific missions (amicable settlement of disputes between councils and individuals and defending and protecting the rights and freedoms with regards to their relationship between citizens and the regions and councils). The inhabitants of the Division are also most aware that OPIC can only listen to a complaint which a competent court has not heard or given judgement. This is the same with the prerogative that OPIC only attends to disputes between councils and individuals only after the complainant had previously written to the Lord Mayor concerned.
As regards stakeholders’ awareness of OPIC’s missions and services, while Council staff and Council agents are the most aware of its missions and sensitization campaigns, business operators stood out to be the category most aware of the complaint procedures of the institution. The survey also reveals Business operators to be the most satisfied with OPIC’s services.
The various reactions recorded from respondents across the Region is proof that the populations are progressively becoming aware of the institution which is new in the country administrative framework as whole and the South-West Region in particular.
It is important to mention that since becoming functional in 2021, the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator has spared no efforts in striving to raise awareness about its existence and missions. It has since embarked on a consistent sensitization drive covering the entire region. In this regard, in spite of the security challenges faced by the region, the institution has held sensitization seminars in all six divisions of the region.
Apart from these sensitization meetings, it has been using the media and more especially community radios to educate the people on its missions both in the two official languages and several local languages of the region. The institution has also distributed some 20,000 flyers to various stakeholders and persons of different ages, groups, and occupations.
While these sensitization efforts are yielding fruits, the head of the institution demonstrated humility during the presentation of the report and pointed out to her collaborators that as a team, they cannot relent in their efforts to ensure that citizens become more and more aware of its existence and benefit from its services.
