ASSOCIATION OF EASTERN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (CENGOS) NIGERIA

 REPORT

Of

THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE MEETING OF CENGOS HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2015 AT CIRDDOC OFFICE, ENUGU

 

APPROVED AGENDA

 

The following was the approved agenda for the meeting:

  • Welcome remarks by the National Coordinator
  • Brief Report from the Program Officer on where we are
  • State of affairs of the coalition
  • Briefing by the National Coordinator on the Amplify Change Project
  • Modalities for implementation of the project
  • Signing of MoUs/Submission of account numbers
  • Peer oversight functions – modalities
  • Development of state work-plans with dates
  • Nomination of members for the capacity building program
  • Nomination of Researchers
  • Mapping of existing laws on SRHR and GBV
  • Articles for Newsletter – modalities
  • SIU Day of Action – choose activity
  • Lessons learnt – Document
  • Financial Responsibilities of State Coordinators – Payment of dues
  • Planning for AGM
  • AOB
  • Lunch and closing

 

  • ATTENDANCE

The following CC members attended the meeting:

  1. Oby Nwankwo – National Coordinator
  2. Lady Claribel Okpara – Imo State Coordinator/National Secretary
  • Nancy Oko-Onya – Ebonyi State Coordinator
  1. Nkiru Nwobodo – Enugu State Coordinator
  2. Margaret Nwagbo – Representative, Anambra State Coordinator
  3. Ahurue Ukoma-Ubani – Representative, Abia State Coordinator
  • Edwin Usang – Cross River State Coordinator/National Program Officer
  • Paul Ugo – CIRDDOC Accountant (in attendance)

 

  • OPENING

The meeting opened at about 10.05am with a prayer by Ahurue Ukoma-Ubani from Abia State. Shortly after the opening prayer, the draft agenda was amended after which Ahurue Ukoma-Ubani moved for its adoption and seconded by Nancy Oko-Onya from Ebonyi State.

 

  • WELCOME REMARKS BY NATIONAL COORDINATOR

Oby Nwankwo, the National Coordinator (NC), welcomed members to Enugu and said that she was happy that the coalition is coming back alive after a long period in a comma. She said that AmplifyChange project was responsible for the revival of the coalition and advised member-states to be serious with the project.

 

  • DOCUMENTS MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE MEETING:

CIRDDOC made available the following documents that were used in our discussions, particularly with respect to the AmplifyChange project. These are as follows:

  • Summary of Activities extracted from work-plan (yearly vs quarterly);
  • Detailed work-plan for the project for the two years including risks assumption and risks mitigation;
  • Work-plan Guidelines for network granting;
  • Milestones documents alongside suggested indicators identified against each key outcomes;
  • A detailed Response written by NC to AmplifyChange about the whole project;
  • Detailed budget for the entire project.

 

  • REPORTS FROM STATES
    • Concerns from Akwa Ibom State Coordinator – Edwin informed the house that Israel Ekanem, the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator had raised objection concerning the lopsidedness in picking the six project states which only included one state from the South-South Region. The NC took responsibility for picking the six states but said there was no ulterior motive behind it. The house took note of it and promised to look into it.
    • Virtually all the states coordinators present at the meeting said they had no report although some said they kept the image of the coalition alive until 2010 in some instances.

 

  • BRIEFING ON THE AMPLIFYCHANGE PROJECT BY OBY NWANKWO

The briefing was given by Oby Nwankwo who gave the main highlights of the project as follows:

  • That the AmplifyChange is a program under the Department for International Development (DFID) supported by the UK Government and with its headquarters in London;
  • That details about the granting system could be found in the AmplifyChange website – amplifychange.org;
  • That the total grant for the project is approximately 349,839.00 Euros and that CIRDDOC had already opened a domiciliary account in Euros. She stated that excess monies from the project would be saved for the rainy days as sustainability plan;
  • That the focus of the AmplifyChange project have been divided into the follows sub-heads:
  1. Movement building around the issues of SRHR and GBV where campaigns, including Online Campaigns and discussions would be held as well as publishing a Quarterly Newsletter / Journal.
  2. Advocacy Strategies where capacities would be built to enable the coalition mount an effective and successful policy influence campaign.
  3. Youth / young NGOs’ mentoring and Technical support for NGOs.
  4. Evidence gathering employing both conventional method and, in addition to the use of Digital platforms through a youth hotline and social media outlets.
  5. Innovative New Actors / New voices, including alliances with Traditional and Church Leaders to increase the support base for the demand for SRHR of the youths as well as ending GBV.

 

  • STATE LEVEL AND NATIONAL ACTIVITIES
    • The followings were identified as National level activities and will be coordinated from Enugu office:
  1. Capacity building for CSOs
  2. Training of Traditional Rulers
  • Peer support / Mentoring of CSOs involved in Innovative grants
  1. Publication of Policy Briefs
  2. Production of IEC materials – Newsletter, T-shirts, Jingles
  3. Quarterly convening
  • Hotline
  • Publication of existing laws
    • The activities that will be carried out at the state level in the project are as follows:
  1. 1-day training of researchers and administration of questionnaires
  2. Monitoring state budget on SRHR
  • Evidence gathering visits to health centres
  1. Mapping of existing laws
  2. Distribution of published laws
  3. Advocacy visits to Traditional Rulers and Ministry of Health
  • Policy Dialogues
  • Dissemination of IEC materials
  1. SIU Day of Action
  2. Airing of jingles
  3. Essay Competition
  • Participation in Online conversations
  • Airing of Nollywood TV Drama series

 

  • FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

Considering the overall work-plan and the summary of activities expected to be implemented within the first quarter, the following action points were approved:

  • A common activity plan for the first quarter for all the six implementing states to be developed by Nancy and Edwin;
  • Messaging for the jingles and T-shirts to be drafted by CIRDDOC office and circulated for coordinators to make inputs; by Feb, 2016 the jingles and T-shirts should be produced;
  • Airing of Jingles should start in March 2016 across the states;
  • Jingles should be produced in three languages (if possible);
  • For each activity, the state coordinator must capture lessons learnt and record them for onwards transmission to national office;
  • A consultant to be engaged to handle analysis of researches and reports. Prof. Josephine Odey was proposed as the consultant;
  • MOU between CIRDDOC and CENGOS state offices – The National Coordinator promised to prepare a draft MOU for consideration and approval.

 

  • PREPARATION FOR CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP AND CENGOS AGM

It was resolved that the two events be held back-to-back, from 11-16 January, 2016. Consequently, the 3-day capacity training was proposed for 12-14 January while AGM was proposed to be held on 15 January. Arrival and departures would be 11th and 16th January respectively. It was also agreed that the events be held at Nike Lake hotel, Enugu. For the capacity building training, it was resolved that our own Oby Nwankwo should handle the training on SRHR and GBV while two external resource persons be recruited. Nancy and Margaret Nwagbo were urged to assist in recruiting the two external resource persons.

 

  • EQUIPMENT FOR NATIONAL AND STATE OFFICES

The National Coordinator informed the house that laptops and printers would be procured and distributed to states and the national office of CENGOS. CIRDDOC would handle the procurement. Lenovo laptops were recommended while hp printers were recommended.

 

  • FINANCIAL MATTERS

Considering the long period of inactivity within the coalition, it was resolved that all registered members of CENGOS should pay their dues from the period when the organization was registered until 2010. The period 2011 to 2015 was approved for waiver for all old members of CENGOS. Registration of new members to begin in 2016 and from the year 2016, registration fee would be five thousand Naira while dues for all member-NGOs was increased to three thousand Naira every year. CC recommended that out of the N5,000 registration fee, N3,000 will go to National while N2,000 would be retained at the state level, while of the N3,000 yearly dues, N2,000 will go to National and N1,000 retained at the state level. These recommendations were however subject to the approval at the AGM.

 

It was also recommended that each state coordinator be paid an allowance in the sum of N30,000 out of the N65,000 budgeted for state Program Officer as incentive. Also it was recommended that the National Program Officer be paid an allowance of N50,000 out of the N80,000 budgeted, while the National Coordinator be paid an allowance of N55,000 out of the N65,000 budgeted. Similarly, it was recommended that the Accountant be paid N25,000 out of the N40,000 budgeted, while the ICT person be paid N25,000 out of the N45,000 budgeted. The excess amount would be paid in to CENGOS account either at the state or national levels as the case may be.