“We Have Given The Institution A Solid Foundation”

How has your work been for the past five years? Work has been hectic at the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator of the North-West Region since July 2021 when we effectively started. To recall, the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator was created to: receive, examine and resolve complaints from citizens regarding their relations with regional and local authorities; assess the functioning of regional and local councils; evaluate service delivery in councils and their relations with citizens; recommend reforms to improve good governance, institutional values, impartiality, accessibility, transparency and responsiveness. As pioneers, we have been able to navigate our way through. What are the key achievements you have recorded since the creation and effective commencement of work as the Public Independent Conciliator for the North-West Region? To be able to fulfil these missions within the current context, and acting as pacificators, watchdogs and advocates, we have been able to receive 252 complaints, amicably resolving over 80 per cent. We have recruited volunteers in the 34 council areas and the Bamenda City Council to assist us in the field. We have undertaken three major campaigns: Campaign to promote the free issuance of civil status documents in 2023, Campaign to promote citizens’ participation in local governance and development in 2024, and the Campaign to promote good governance in regional and local authorities in 2025. Feedback from these campaigns helped to strengthen accountability, improve local governance and citizens are better served and involved in council affairs. Within this period, we have been able to visit most councils in the region and carried out outreach to councils, women’s groups, groups of persons living with disabilities, minority and indigenous groups, village development associations and faith-based organisations. Being pioneers, we have benchmarked and shared knowledge with other ombudsman institutions within Africa and beyond. From scratch, we established this institution. We have produced three foundational documents including: A Complainants’ Guide, a Complaint Treatment Guide, and a Harmonised Ethical Guide for Regional and Local Authorities of the North-West Region. We have acquired land on which we are currently constructing the Head Office Building. We are guided in our work by a five-year Strategic Plan and we are happy that we have given the institution a solid foundation for future generations to build on. What do you think have been the main impacts of the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator in fostering peace, harmony and development of the North-West Region? I must recall here that the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator was created, among other missions, to strengthen relations between citizens and council authorities, particularly within the framework of decentralization and the Special Status granted to the North- West and South-West regions. In a region that has experienced significant social, security and probity challenges, our work has contributed in several important ways to peace, harmony, and development. Through our work, councils have adopted inclusive practices ensuring vulnerable groups (youths, women, and persons living with disabilities) and persons in remote/marginal communities. We are leaving no one behind. To this end, we are currently evaluating the 2010 law and 2018 decree to enhance the protection...