Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) on Thursday, Oct 3, 2019 embarked on Legislative Advocacy to Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State Legislative Assembly. The event which took place at the Hollowed Chambers of the Legislative Assembly by noon had the visiting team from Advocacy Centre ushered in following a motion raised and adpted by the members to receive and listen to the YEAC team led by its Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface. Declaring the session open after introduction, the Leader of the Legislative Assembly,

Rt. Hon. Samuel B. Kpee welcome and thanked Advocacy Centre for organising capacity development workshop for its Members on September 12, 2019 in Port Harcourt. Hon. Kpee described the capacity building workshop as “the first of its kind in the 8th Legislative Assembly of this Local Government Area”. Rt. Hon. Kpee expressed the willingness of the Legislative Assembly under his leadership to partner with Advocacy Centre for the development of their Wards and people they represent.  

 

Advocating at the Legislative Assembly, the Executive Director of Advocacy Centre expressed appreciation to the Councilors for the opportunity to attend their By-law making seesion for legislative advocacy. He also thanked them for participating in our just concluded training and capacity development workshop on Law-making Processes, Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building Mechanisms for Local Government Legislators in Ogoni under the auspices of Forum of Ogoni Local Government Legislative Assemblies. Mr. Fyneface told the Councilors that he and his staff as well as the Canadian International Human Rights and Environmental Activist, Genevieve Talbot were at their Chambers to among others advocate for the inclusion of the people they represent in their By-law making and development processes.

 

Mr. Fyneface tasked the Councilors to be transparent in their budget and insure participatory budget process whereby the people would have the opportunity to make into the budget on capital projects among others. Mr. Fyneface used the opportunity to present certificates of participation in the September capacity development workshop which were not ready at the time to the Councilors and also received feedback from your Honourble Members and other areas of capacity development needs with view of integrating same in subsequent programs and activities with the Legislative Assembly Members. The Legislative Advocacy visit to the Gokana Legislative Assembly also served as an impact assessment and further strengthen the collaborative relationships between Advocacy Centre and the Legislative Assembly.

In a related development, the YEAC Legislative Advocacy team also went to the Khana Legislative Assembly in Bori-Ogoniland and were received in session by the Leader of the Council, Rt. Hon. Lekia Court Nwanikpo. The Councilors took time to appreciate the Advocacy Centre team led by Mr. Fyneface Dumnamene on the previous training and the visit with many of them adding that the knowledge gained from the capacity development workshop already helping them in the discharge of their duties and peacebuilding efforts in their communities. Some of the Councilors call on Advocacy Centre to continue its good works and be available to join them to speak to youths in their Wards when they put a program together for that purposed. The Executive Director of YEAC assured the Councilors of continuous collaboration for development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The opportunity was also used to present them with Certificate of Participation after our Sept 12 Capacity Development Workshop. An Int’l Human Rights Activist @GenvioTalbot was on the team