The 2 day Peer review forum for the Advocates for Local government accountability and transparency (ALAT) teams from Sama, Ido, Obuama and Ipokuma communities was aimed at outlining the engagements carried out by the ALAT teams, giving ALAT teams the opportunity to share their experiences, barriers/challenges they are currently facing in the discharge of their duties and successes with one another,. proffer homegrown solutions to these barriers, devise new strategies to adopt in carrying out their activities, list the impact of the Citizen’s radio programs on their community members, share plans for the sustainability of their efforts and the importance of documentation and reporting of their activities.
Dr Joseph Ekong in his presentation on introduction to peer review enlightened the participants on the etymology, meaning, justification for a peer review forum and community engagement strategies. The etymology of peer review started when the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was established by the African Union (AU) in 2001, a product of the AU’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) of which Nigeria is a member and signatory. It is considered a self-monitoring tool for AU members to assess their performance using such indices as accountability and transparency, anti-corruption, democratic consolidation, civil society engagements, good governance, peace, stability and security, etc. The justification for peer review comes from the fact that it is not a fault-finding process, but rather a lesson-learning process for peers, sharing of experiences among peers, assessing the performances of peers, identification of performance gaps and providing suggestions for improvements in future.
The second facilitator, Mr Atieme West in his presentation served as a build-up to the earlier training of ALAT members on local government administrative and budgetary processes. Mr West enlightened attendees on LGA Administration and procedure, the importance and ways of building relationships/partnerships with key LGA administrators, overcoming bureaucratic bottlenecks at the LGA, threats and potential areas that require synergy to achieve communities’ goals. The knowledge shared is relevant to the work being carried out by the ALAT team members in 4 communities.
The ALAT teams were shared into groups 8 where they shared their experiences, barriers/challenges they are currently facing in the discharge of their duties and successes with one another, proffered homegrown solutions to these barriers, devised new strategies to adopt in carrying out their activities, list the impact of the citizens radio programs on their community members, share plans for sustainability of their efforts and importance of documentation and reporting of their activities. At the end of the group meetings, each community made presentations while the audience and members from other groups asked questions and made contributions on solutions to the various challenges shared that tend to inhibit the growth and progress of the ALAT team.
The ALAT recorded some successes in course of their work in the various communities. They include:
- Recognition and support by members of the 4 communities and making CHHELD and the ALAT team a “household” name.
- Educating members of the communities to know the kind of project to demand from the local government that is relevant to the overall growth and development of the community and is within the purview of a local government.
- Successfully interfacing with the ward councillors, chiefs, Community Development Committees (CDC), and women and youth leaders.
- Conduct of NEEDS Assessment using the Participatory Vulnerability Analysis (PVA) and Participatory Research and Action (PRA) tools in the 4 communities.
- Submission of results of NEEDS assessment to the ASALGA and DELGA local government chairmen and having the commitment of the LGA chairmen to include the needs in the 2023 appropriation act of the LGAs.
The peer review sessions generated the following key recommendations from the participants:
- Scale up the airtime for radio programming from 30 minutes to 1 hour so as to provide ample opportunity for both guests and participants to judiciously share their accountability and transparency experiences from their respective local government authorities.
- Radio programs should be held in indigenous languages.
- Integration of the ALAT team as a community-based Organisation.
- Provision of adequate logistics to ALAT team members for increased advocacy and engagements.
- Scale up and replicate the interventions in other communities in both the existing implementing local government areas and elsewhere in Rivers State for more impacts and results on local government accountability and transparency in the State.
- Continuous advocacy for more community projects within and beyond the local government level.
Some of the plans for sustainability include:
- Monthly meetings and updates of ALAT activities with the community during the town hall meetings.
- Continuous reporting to the parent body, CHHELD on activities carried out in the communities.
- Financial contributions from members and other individuals within and outside the communities.
- Door-to-door awareness campaigns in the communities.
- Affiliation of the ALAT team with the LGA.
- Advocacy on the implementation of projects in the community included in the budget, through the ward councillors.
- Continuous peer review forums organized by the ALAT teams with support from community leadership.
In course of the peer review forum, there was the induction of new members of the Ipokuma ALAT team, this is a result of the demise and relocation of some members.
In attendance during the peer review forums were ALAT teams from the 4 communities, representative of the Degema Local Government council, Hon. Nicholas Stephen Harry and community leaders such as community chiefs, community secretaries, members of CDCs, women leaders, youth leaders and other opinion leaders in the communities that have made contributions to the work of the ALAT team. This forum was an opportunity for every key stakeholder in the community to be on the same page as regards the activities of the ALAT teams and thus foster collaborations among them. The CDC chairmen, community secretaries, women and youth leaders from various communities made open commitments and pledged to work with the ALAT team in their community and give them the much needed support.
Mr. Tariah Sowonate making presentation on behalf of Ido ALAT team
The Degema Local Government Chairman, Hon. Michael J. Williams represented by the Council Secretary, Hon. Nicholas Stephen Harry felicitated with CHHELD and the ALAT teams. He congratulated them for the good work and achievements so far. He further reiterated the commitment of the DELGA council to include the results of the NEEDS assessment of Obuama and Ipokuma communities in the 2023 appropriation bill.