Introduction

CIRDDOC is an independent, non-governmental and not-for-profit organization established in 1996 and registered in 1998 for the protection and promotion of human rights and women’s human rights and the strengthening of civil society. CIRDDOC is also committed to the institutionalization of good governance,   gender equality and the rule of law. Its assistance is designed to support and empower marginalized groups especially women and children to get justice. It also builds the capacity of individuals, groups, coalitions, networks and institutions to participate in a broad range of democratic process.

Specifically, CIRDOOC support and services include outreaches, rallies, workshops, seminars, conferences, moot court competitions, research, documentation and publication, tribunals, public hearings and civic forum, paralegal scheme, mediation, litigation, counseling and legal advice, civic education and voter education, budget literacy, advocacy and monitoring. It is widely recognized for its advocacy work in the country to improve public policy and keep women’s issues in the hearts and minds of decision-makers, donor agencies and partners.

In Nigeria, the impact of corruption has suppressed growth and development thereby depriving citizens of access to basic services, declined productivity with heightened low personal income. The government alone with its myriad of challenges and partisan nature cannot fight corruption efficiently hence the call for FBOs, CBOs, NGOs, etc. to join in the fight. CIRDDOC Nigeria as an NGO has been playing strategic roles in fighting corruption through series of high impact women focused activities.

It against this background that CIRDDOC Nigeria in collaboration with WRAPA, since 2018, under the Gender & Accountability project in Enugu State, is supporting programme delivery in contribution to the MacArthur Foundation strategy for institutionalizing anti-corruption and accountability in Nigeria

CIRDDOC, in 1st year of the project built the capacities of some selected women groups on interconnectivity between gender, poverty and corruption and budgetary processes, Monitoring and Tracking of budget, Project implementation in the 2nd year project especially in the Education (UBEC), Electricity and Health sectors.

The trained groups were working to influence the traditional institution to include women into leadership positions and decision making at community and LGAs, track and monitor school feeding program, electricity services and budget/project implementation as well as report cases of corruption and deliberate non program delivery to appropriate authorities for redress in the 9 LGAs of Enugu State where CIRDDOC is currently working.

Problems the project seeks to Address

Corruption is a destructive and complex trend that permeates the human, social and economic fabric of institutions and nations. The consequences however are grave due to the systemic erosion of public resources that could be deployed to the general good of all. In Nigeria, the impact of corruption has stifled growth and development depriving citizens of access to basic services, declined productivity with accentuated low personal income. These and others have become key drivers in destroying its economic and social fabric while also providing ‘legitimacy’ for persistent conflict and violence.

Since women are more reliant on essential public services, such as delivered in health care/hospitals, education/schools, housing, food and agriculture subsidies, social services, transportation, electricity, water and waste disposal services, security (police), courts they suffer the impact of corruption disproportionately. This is because corruption creates a barrier to accessing those services when it depletes the amount of resources available and reduces the quality of public service delivery.

However, demand for accountability and anti-corruption in Nigeria does not address women’s issues as a strategic or pivotal concern. Neither does it reflect a significant contribution of women’s voices as a result of their limited economic and political power, which reduces their capacity to highlight their issues within the context of corruption.

The project seeks to address the inadequacies of a few women in public offices and even fewer that have been accused of corruption,  cultural constructs and faith misrepresentations to justify the denial of women holding high public office and non- participation of women in community and LGA  leadership positions and in decision making strata.

FUNDED ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS USING MAC ARTHUR FOUNDATION FUNDS

CIRDDOC undertook the following activities using the Foundation’s funds during the 1st year which started July, 2018 and ended June 30, 2019. The under listed activities include:

  1.  Planning meeting conducted with the 25 (23 females and 2 males) identified partners from the State, LGAs and Community where the buy-in of critical stakeholders secured.

Participants at the meeting making presentation

  1. Sensitization workshop was organized at the LGAs levels using VEC document to raise the voice of women to start demanding for accountability from elected and appointed Public office holders’ traditional leaders. Five hundred and forty (60 per LGA) women groups and female politicians were sensitized on the roles and responsibility of elected officials.
  •  A two day training workshop on interconnectivity between gender, poverty and corruption was organized for 43 LGA and community mobilizers comprising 28 women groups, 9 female youth, 3 female aspirants and 3 males, media, and MDAs. Capacities of the 43 participants enhanced to engage with the elected officials, action plan on lesson learned and campaign messages developed during the workshop.
Prof Ugwu Presenting paper to the Participants at the workshop
  1.  Presentation of Women Agenda to political aspirants- CIRDDOC trained women group used the platform South East governance group of Enugu State Chapter in an interface meeting with all the political candidates of three major political parties to present their agenda on Education, Health, governance, electricity, security and access roads.
Picture showing a representative of women group from Aninri LGA presenting their agenda to political candidates
Representative of women groups from Igboeze North presenting their agenda
Cross –section of women groups at the political campaign rallies
  1. Engagement meeting with traditional leaders and other stakeholders:

 This meeting was held in 9 communities across 9 LGAs with traditional leaders, women groups, political parties and policy makers on gender and social inclusion. Forty – three women included as cabinet Chiefs.

HRH Igwe R.A.Chukwu, Mkpume Asaa of Okpanku making opening remarks
Picture showing the traditional leader (middle) of Ndiabor community
  1.  Town Hall Meetings were held in 3 LGAs in Enugu State namely Oji River, Aninri and Nsukka. Three hundred (300) 100 per LGA  comprising  of Traditional leaders, LGA chairmen, ward counselors, legislators, women groups, political party  leaders, town union executives from the communities were in attendance.  Women groups present were given opportunity to interface with the elected public holders present.
One of the resource Persons making her presentation at Nsukka Town hall meeting
Cross section of the Participants during the Town Hall Meeting at Aninri
One of the Participants making contributions at the Oji River Town Hall Meeting
  1. Quarterly Meetings: Four on the anti-corruption activities carried out by the respective partners. The meetings were held with LGA/ Community partners where information and ideas on the anti-corruption activities carried out by the respective partners are shared.
Picture showing the partners during the review meeting
  1. Radio Program: Two radio programs were carried at Dream FM, 92.5 on gender and corruption and accountability.  It is an audience participation program on people’s forum (English program), and Onafio (Igbo program).  These Programmes were anchored by Juliet Anozie (Adaigbo), Ezinne and Debora for English.  The first one was done in the 2nd quarter while the second aired in the 4th quarter. The 4th quarter audience participation program was on the outcome of the engagement and community dialogue meetings.  The resource persons were the trained women groups selected.
CIRDDOC Partners during the radio program at Dream FM 92.5

Community Dialogue: Community Dialogue was conducted in 9 rural communities across the 9 LGAs where CIRDDOC is working. The meetings were held using SWOT analysis to generate community key development needs and community issues. CIRDDOC also enlightened the community members on the roles of the governor, legislators, ward councilors, LG chairman and Traditional leaders and women.

A total of 410 (210 women and 200 men, including male and female youth) community members participated in the meeting. Twenty – six women were included as cabinet chiefs in 7 communities

Group photograph of the Community Members at Ogbuodoaba during the community dialogue
Picture showing CIRDDOC staff facilitating during Community dialogue meeting at Igogoro in Igbo-Eze North local government.
Group Photograph at Mbulumbu in Nkanu East community dialogue
Community dialogue meeting at Ezinesi Oduma in Aninri LGA
Community dialogue meeting at Umualor in Isi-Uzo LGA

Results achieved in year 1

1. Infrastructure –Road

Igboeze North CIRDDOC Women Transparency and Accountability group (INCWT&AG) visited and demanded from the Governor to demand for the construction of the abandoned roads in the communities. As a result of this demands, 10 km roads Ogurete – Umuogbo and 10 km roads from Enugu Ezike to Nkwo Igogoro roads completed while Aji to Ette roads and Nkwo Igogoro to Kogi state still on-going. Courtesy of CTAG Igboeze North

Igboeze north women groups with the female councilor

Completed roads

2. Women inclusion in community leadership

115 women were included and installed as cabinet chiefs in leadership positions and decision making across the 36 communities.

3. Electricity sectors

CTAG engaged with the LGA chairman on the 2 Transformers captured in the VEC document for Amakpu and Amakatanga communities and demanded for the installation. Based on this demand, the transformers were released and have been installed in the designated community on the 10th of February, 2019.

Peaceful demonstration to EEDC that lead to transformer installation and reduction in bills by CTAG Oji River.

Picture showing EEDC Official during the Installation of transformers in Ehuhe Achi-Oji River

2ND YEAR OF GAP

The 1st year of the project ended on the 30th June, 2019 while the 2nd year started July 1st 2019 to June 30th 2020. Year two of the activities include awareness raising, review meetings, radio programs, capacity building on budgetary process, monitoring of budget and project implementation, monitoring of state budget, monitoring of UBEC funding and Electricity regulatory bodies, engagement meetings for sustainability, town hall meetings and state close out meeting with stakeholders.

The year 2 activities started with sensitization of women on effective engagement for improved accountability during August meeting in 7 LGAs namely Udenu( Ogbuodoaba community), Igboeze North (Igogoro), Nkanu West ( Agbani and Akpugo), Nkanu East (Mbuluowo), Aninri (Ezinesi Oduma), Nsukka West (Ehazuabor), Nsukka East (Obukpa).

3000 women groups sensitized on how to demand for accountability. The women groups were from the Catholic Women Organization (CWO)=1000, Anglican mother Union groups (400),Women fellowship of Methodist Church (500), Ogbuodoaba women Development group (600) and Aninri women development union (500).

The outcomes of the sensitization were:

As a result of the combined courtesy visit to Governor by CTAG, Udenu and Isi- Uzo, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Rt Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi approved the sum of nine hundred million (900,000,000) for the Ashphat of the 22km road from Neke-Mbu –Ogbuodoaba –Obollo Etiti road that has been in the VEC Document since 2007.  Work has commenced on the 13th day of January, 2020.

CIDDOC/CTAG jointly retrieves and regained custody of two children and ownership of the late husband properties for a 26 year old widow, Charity Ezeh at Ogbuodoaba in Udenu LGA.

Mrs. Charity Ezeh with her two children at CIRDDOC Office in Enugu

With support from WRAPA and Mac Arthur Foundation, CIRDDOC organized two review meetings on the 29th (quarter 1) and 30th (quarter2). The meeting was organized in two capacity.

  1. To access the impacts and performances of year 1 activities on CTAG members and the communities.
  2. To review quarter 1&2 work plan for year 2.
  3. To come up with strategies to sustain the project.

The highlights of the meetings include:

  • Quarter 1 &2 work plan jointly reviewed.
  • CTAG network inaugurated in the 9 LGAs
  • Strategies that enhanced collaboration and partnership designed and developed
  • Reports /experiences shared among CTAG members in the 9 LGAs 

Coordinators of each of the LGAs presented the following reports;

  • Construction of six classroom blocks at CPS Igogoro completed and ready to be used (Igboeze North).
  • CTAG members expanded from 36 to 206 members across and beyond the 9 LGAs.
  • Work on the 10km road construction from Nkwo Igogoro to Kogi has resumed. (Igboeze North)
  • Medical doctor in charge of Okpanku Cottage hospital has been removed and replaced due to corrupt practices involved- selling his personal drugs to patient (courtesy of CTAG Aninri spot –check activities)  
  • Non- attendance/shortage/ lack of teachers across the 9 LGAs and beyond.(Aninri, Igboeze North, Udenu, Nkanu East, Oji River, Udi). One teacher handling primary 1-3 pupils.
  • Inclusion of 17 women into Igwe’s cabinet ( Udenu 12 and Igboeze North 5)  

The following results were achieved:

  • CTAG network formed to work in synergy to achieve a common goal.
  • CPS Igogoro 11 completed and ready to be used.
  • Seats and desks provided for learners in Ugwuoba Primary School- Oji River.
  • Year 2 quarter 1&2 work plan jointly reviewed by CTAG/CIRDDOC
Mazi Jerry addressing the participants on the 29th October, 2019
Virginia Obianyo addressing CTAG members on the 30th of October

Engagement meeting with 450 identified stakeholders/duty bearers in 6 LGAs namely Isi- Uzo, Nkanu East, Udenu, Aninri, Oji River and Igboeze North. The meeting started on the 13th and ended 28th November, 2019. The meeting holds in 6 LGA conference halls.

The meeting was organized in the six LGAs namely:  Oji River (13th Nov.), Isi –Uzo (14th Nov.), Nkanu East (20th Nov.), Udenu (25th Nov), Aninri (26th Nov) and Igboeze North (28th Nov). Four hundred and fifty (450) persons attended the meeting.                                         

The meeting witnessed the presence of 6 House Members representing the  constituencies, 26 ward Councilors, 6 Local Government Chairmen, 6 Education Secretaries, 2 Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) officials, Heads of Departments of Health and Education, Political Parties representatives, 6 Chairmen of School Based Management Communities (SBMC), 24 Traditional Leaders, 300 Women, 64 Men and Youth Groups representatives, 6 Chairmen and Secretaries of community health and electricity committees in various communities.

The meeting provided an ideal forum for CTAG members to share information on the identified development issues ranging from health, education, electricity and other infrastructures such as roads and women and girls inclusion in politics and governance.

Issues identified which were presented to stakeholders/duty bearers during the meeting include,

Education sector

 lack of adequate teachers in primary  and junior secondary schools, poor and non-functional school feeding program, dilapidated schools (Nsukka, Udenu, Nkanu East, Udi), lack of learning materials such as chairs, desks ( CPS Ogbuodoaba in Udenu, Aguiduma and Isi Ugwu primary schools  in Nkanu East, and Nsukka).

Also, lack of access roads were identified and presented in Ehazuabor and Ehandiagu in Nsukka West, Aguiduma Aniyi Amagunze in Nkanu East, Umualor in Isi Uzo and Ogbuodoaba in Udenu.

On the issue of electricity, estimated and crazy bills, epileptic power supply were presented to EEDC officials that attended the meeting.

On Health sector, dilapidated/ collapsed health Centre (Oduma in Aninri), non- availability of  medical equipment and personnel (Isi-Uzo and Igboeze North), no health facilities in some communities such as Umualor, lack of drugs in public health institutions, massive transfer of medical personnel without replacement( Igboeze North) and negligence of duties and Extortion of patients by medical doctors – medical doctors posted in LGAs such as Isi- Uzo, Aninri, Udenu and Igboeze North  do prefer to work in their private clinics to attend their official duties posts, rather when they come, they referred those patients to their  private clinics to get more money from them. 

Immediate Outcomes from the meeting

The education secretaries, HODs on health and Education, Political Parties, LGA chairmen, EEDC officials, Traditional leaders and the six legislators attended pledged to work with CTAG in areas of issue generation and monitoring school feeding programs. They also committed to penalized any erring official found wanton corrupt practices

In Aninri LGA, women groups, traditional leaders, LGA chairman, ward councillors, representatives both Federal and State committed to solve the issue of long term power outage in the LGA. 

Political parties’ representatives that attended committed that henceforth, the number of women in elective positions would be increased from 4-7 ward councillors at LGA levels. This was evident in the recent nomination for caretaker ship in Enugu state in December, two women emerged as chairman and deputy at Nsukka LGA and five women as caretakers committees in Oji River LGA.  

Capacities of 50 CTAG members enhanced to monitor and track budget performance and project implementation in Enugu State. A two day workshop was organized by CIRDDOC in collaboration with WRAPA and with support from Mac Arthur Foundation on budgetary processes, monitoring and tracking budget and project implementation on the 13th and 14th of December, 2019 at Dannic hotels Enugu. The purpose of the workshop was to educate women and girls to get involve in budgetary processes knowing full well that budget is a major instruments that translates government policies into developmental progress that support the fight against corruption by mainly preventing ad improving transparency and accountability.

 Also, it is believe that the participation of women and girls in budgetary processes will put an end to ritual passing of budget that has no bearing on the actual needs of the rural people. Topics delivered during the workshop included but not limited to budget process, budget analysis, budget monitoring and tracking, project and project execution, social audit as a social accountability tools, Advocacy, networking, Community mobilization and fund raising and FOI Act.

  • Immediate outcomes Development of plan of action to step down lesson learned to other CTAG members in the communities.
  • With the skill and knowledge gained, CTAG members mobilized other women groups and they attended the budget presentation. Visited their respective representatives in the House of Assembly to present issues raised for 2020 budget inclusion (Aninri, Isi-Uzo, Nsukka Nkanu East and Udenu), communicated lessons learned  to other CTAG  members in various communications, continued engagement with traditional leaders for the inclusion of women in community leadership and decision making (Oji River, Nkanu East and Isi Uzo)

Results Achieved in Year 2

  • On Infrastructure,  with the intervention of CTAG members from Udenu and ISI-Uzo LGAs after the August meeting,  construction work has commenced and still ongoing on the  22km roads from Neke-Mbu –Ogbuodoaba to Obollo-Etiti  which was approved by the Governor of Enugu State on  the 5th day of November, 2019. The work started on the 14th January, 2020.
  • Construction work has commenced and is ongoing on the 10km roads leading to Ehandiagu community in Nsukka West after the visit of women groups from the community lead by Mrs. Virginia Obianyo and Rev Fr. Ukweze to see the member representing them for the inclusion of the road into the 2020 budget. 
  • Work has resumed on the road leading to Umualor community which was abandoned since 2015, courtesy of CTAG members Isi- Uzo LGA.
  • Work has also resumed on 10 km road from Nkwo Igogoro to Kogi State which they stopped as a result of heavy down pour.
  • Contractor has gone back to the water project abandoned at Oghu Community in Udi LGA. Courtesy of CTAG on a radio program at Dream FM 92.5 on the 14th January, 2020.

Education Sector

  • Construction of six new classroom in Central Primary school Igogoro 11 has been completed and ready to be used
  • Chairs, desks and other learning materials have been provided for learners in Ugwuoba primary School, where it was previously reported.

Electricity Sector

The issue of electricity in Aninri LGA has been rectified. The 33 transformers have been registered with EEDC Courtesy of CTAG Aninri.

  Women inclusion into community leadership and Decision Making

  • Twenty (20) women (12 each from Igboeze North and Udenu, 6 from Oji River).

Health Sector

  • Removal of doctors that were involved in negligence of duties and extortion of patience 

Way Forward

  • Monitoring of budget Performance and project Implementation
  • Monitoring of UBEC Funding (School home grown feeding program) and Electricity regulations
  • Town hall meetings in Six LGAs
  • State wide conference  interface meetings with duty bearers and citizens