MINUTES OF CROSS RIVER STATE CIVIL SOCIETY MEETING FOR OCTOBER 2014

[BEN USANG]

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From: BEN USANG <benu...@yahoo.com>
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Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2014 11:39 PM
Subject: MINUTES OF CROSS RIVER STATE CIVIL SOCIETY MEETING FOR OCTOBER 2014

THE MINUTES OF THE CROSS RIVER STATE CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERSHIP AND GENERAL MEETING

HELD  ON   30^TH OCTOBER, 2014   AT  NGOCE OFFICE  65  NDIDEM  USANG ISO  ROAD,CALABAR

 

COMMENCEMENT: The meeting commenced at 12noon with an Opening Prayer with the Acting President, Leader Ben Usang, Presiding. Mr. Asuquo Edet  took the minutes of the Meeting in the absence of the Acting General Secretary. 

INTRODUCTION: The introduction was mistakenly skipped but some members later introduced themselves during the course of the meeting.

APOLOGIES: Apologies were sent in by the following members for their inability to attend the meeting:  Mr.Theodore Ebutta, Chief Emerald Ojong, Mr.Linus Ita, Mr.Emmanuel Owan, Mr.Vincent Oyamo, Pastor Aniyom Dien, Mr. Joshua Ofoegbu, Mr.Larry Etta.

ATTENDANCE: Twenty Members attended the meeting as documented in the attendance register. They include Twelve Men and Eight Women.

OPENING REMARKS:

The Chairman started his remarks by appreciating the members for finding time out of their busy schedule to be part of the meeting, he went on to commend the new members who came to the meeting for the first time and even had to wait a for while before the meeting started. He regretted that the Network is yet to move to its own venue for meeting, a situation that could result in the current venue not being open due to the absence of NGOCE staff at the time of meeting. He however expressed his gratitude to God and to the Director of NGOCE for the meeting holding at the venue despite the initial difficulties experienced earlier in the day. He said he was hopeful that a more suitable arrangement will soon result. He then requested every member to actively participate in the meeting and for those who are yet to pay the N1000 fee for the membership expression of interest form to do so as soon as possible and as only those that have paid, the money, will be accorded appropriate membership privileges in the network.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION ON DEVELOPMENT:

Mr. Edet Asuquo of ENIPAD again took the presentation for the meeting on the Disease Uncle Psychiasis. He spoke of the causes and effect of the disease which he said is popularly known as River Blindness. He stated that the disease is caused by an insect known as Black Fly and that the insect is bread in a fast running water or  stream. He said that the outcome of the bite of black fly is the deposit of phileria worm . He went on to say that the disease is mainly found in Senegal and Nigeria in  West Africa and in Cross River State, it is found in fifteen Local Government Areas including Calabar South. He said that the worm can remain hidden in the body up to the period of five years leading to toughness of the skin and change of colour. Other likely symptoms of the disease other than blindness according to the presenter include: swollen penis, breast or legs. He further suggested preventive measures like a drug known as Abendazole mendizante, sleeping in mosquito treated net etc. He used the opportunity to inform the house that his organisation has been selected to be a part of a World Health Organisation Project here in the State to combat the disease starting from the 3^rd of November,2014.Mr. Felix Ukam and Mr. Sunday Ibor asked the presenter questions on the Presentation and he took turn to answer them.

 

 

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING:

Mr. Edet Asuquo read the minutes and thereafter members made comments on the minutes following which corrections and omissions were duly noted. On a General note, a member suggested that due to the cost of printing, an electronic version will be cheaper. Another member suggested that a summarized minute be circulated instead of a lengthy one that takes long to read. The Chairman responded to the contributions on the minutes accordingly and accepted that with circulated copies there might not be need to read out the minutes.

A motion for the adoption of the minutes was moved after due consideration by Pastor Thomas Agida and in the absence of any counter motion, the minutes were adopted unanimously by the House.

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING:

The Acting President informed the house that representatives of  Civil Society Organisations that participated in the Educational Stakeholders Roundtable, earlier this year, had agreed to partner with Disability Focused Organisations to mark this year’s World Disability Day and that it was on that note he  was proposing to the house that the marking of the date should be considered alongside the forthcoming Civil Society Conference in December,2014. Mrs. Flora Usang informed the House that December 3^rd is usually the day set aside by the United Nations to mark the World Disability Day but that the day has not been marked for some years now by the state government. Mrs Stella Okon suggested that in case the government decides to celebrate the World Disability Day this year with Disability Groups, the network should consider a plan B in its quest to also celebrate the World Disability Day jointly with such groups so as to avoid having to cancel its plan suddenly due to commitment of those groups in government organised event.

Deliberation arose on the activities of the Local Government Budget Committee. The Chairman of the Committee was however not in the meeting to brief the house if any activity had been carried out by the committee. Mrs. Stella Okon requested the Chairman to find out what was the difficulty of the committee for not being able to submit any report of their activities. The Chairman had to sort the confusion that arose on the difference between a committee and a working group, stating that the two were different even when they had the same name as the purpose of setting them up had different objectives and time frame. He therefore urged members who want to constitute a Budget Advocacy Working Group to feel free to join together from different organisation to establish such group despite the existence of a committee with similar name. The Following members therefore decided to form the Budget Advocacy Working Group: Maryjane Alberto;Evelyn Ajah;Archibong Eso;Sunday Ibor;Edet Asuquo.

Mrs Agnes Usang said that it was unfortunate that some members will accept responsibilities in the meeting of the network  and yet not be able or committed to accomplish the task given to them and that this attitude should not continue among members.She also expressed dismay that despite the status of the Network as the mother of all NGOs it cannot move forward without its own office. She went on to suggest that the problems of the network should be channelled to Government of that if well presented they will agree to it for mutual interest. The Chairman commended her for the concern but stated that the Network has an office but that the location is not central for all members to attend meeting though he also stated that resources are needed from members and other stakeholders to put the Network’s office in place. 

 

On the Civil Society Conference, the house adopted the recommendation of the Chairman to include the marking of the World Disability Day in the Conference. On the proposed Venue on the draft Conference flier, the Chairman stated that he was open to suggestion on any other venue that was central and at a reasonable cost. Victoria Ukpong therefore suggested The Girls Power Initiative(GPI) Conference Hall but the suggestion was not acceptable to the Chairman or the House as the venue was not Centrally located in the city and the proposed venue was even cheaper than the GPI hall. The Chairman stated that within the next three days, publicity for the conference will commence using the internet and that he will raise personal funds as soon as possible to pay for the venue. He called on members to volunteer to serve in various capacities during the Conference. Mr. Sunday Ibor offered himself for the Communique Drafting Subcommittee while two female members indicated that they will serve in the Welfare/ Refreshment Subcommittee.   

FUNDING/DEVELOPMENT WORK OPPORTUNITIES:

The Chairman shared information on the opportunity from Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All(CSACEFA)Abuja calling for a concept note for a Governance project related to Education and that the opportunity can be carried out in partnership with other organisations. He therefore requested interested members to indicate so they will be invited to a meeting once the concept note is accepted.

FINANCE:

 Mrs.Agnes Usang paid the sum of N1000 for The Expression of Interest for Membership Form on behalf of her organisation raising the total number of those who have made the payment to twenty.

CORRESPONDENCE/INVITATION:

The Chairman informed   the House of the invitation he received to the quarterly consultative meeting of the Department of Civil Society/NGOs and that at the meeting the report of the survey of self help groups in the state was launched. The Chairman also informed the house that He was invited by one of the members to submit up to twenty names of the members for training at an unspecified time by the United Nations Development Programme as Voter Education Volunteers.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS:

Mr. Sunday Ibor asked the Chairman whether there was any provision for emergency meeting in view of the forthcoming conference, The Chairman responded that there will be a meeting within the next two or three weeks but that normally the Leadership/General meeting would have been held after one month.

ADJOURNMENT:

After exhaustive deliberation on the agenda for the day, Victoria Ukpong moved for the adjournment of the meeting, the motion was seconded by Mrs. Maryjane Alberto and unanimously adopted by the house.

CLOSING:

The meeting came to a close at 3:40pm after a closing prayer taken by Mr. Archibong Eso.

 

LEADER BEN USANG( CHAIRMAN)                                                                   CLETUS BASSEY(SECRETARY)