Local stakeholders of Kupe-Muanenguba Division have pledged to reinforced  efforts at educating the population on OPIC’s mission and improve collaboration with local councils. The pledge was made after these stakeholders were schooled on the missions of institution as well as on their rights and obligations as users of council services during a one day sensitization Town-Hall meeting organized by the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator at the Bangem Council Hall on August 30^th 2023.

Organized under theme “Office of the Public Independent Conciliator: Concerting with Community Stakeholders of Kupe-Muanenguba Division to Improve Collaboration Between Local Collectivities and Service Users”, the community stakeholders included traditional rulers, religious authorities, civil society leaders and business persons as well as administrative and municipal authorities.

While opening the Town-Hall meeting in the presence of Mungambo Ekema William, Senior Divisional Officer for Kupe-Muanenguba, the Public Independent Conciliator, Mme Telelen Dorothy Atabong epse Motaze explained that the mission of the institution is to work closely with the administration of the 31 local councils, two City councils and the Regional Assembly of the South-West Region to ensure quality services delivery to citizens. She told the participants that OPIC is also mandated to work with different stakeholders to foster local governance as well as ensures that the populations actively participate in their own development.

At the end of the Town-hall meeting, recognizing their role as an important link between institutions and the population, some traditional rulers took the commitment to educate their populations on their obligations towards local collectivities. Chief Nkwelle Peter, traditional ruler of Muesok village said he was going to his community to encourage citizens respect municipal deliberations and laws as well as pay taxes. Chief Bang Joseph of Mungo-Ndor village planned to educate his subjects on their rights as service users of councils, obligations and how they can address a complaint to the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator.