The Port Loko District Council Chairman, Ibrahim Santigie Bangura says the revitalisation of the District Development Coordination Committee meeting (DDCCs) is a significant structure that ensures better coordination among all the NGOs, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as non-state actors for efficient and time-bound development in the district.

He made this statement at a meeting held at the Port Loko District Council organised by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) to further strengthen the relationship between NGOs, Local Councils and MDAs whilst mapping a new way out moving forward.

Chairman Santigie said together with partners they constantly monitor the implementation of development programs in the district, which they present at the DDCC meetings regularly.

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“These DDCC meetings have ensured there is more development accountability and reporting at our level. This has started to address the problem of duplication and service delivery this council had some time ago. We are grateful to the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development for such timely initiative”, said Chairman Santigie.

He said the relationship with partners, particularly NGOs has been crucial to solving important social problems in the district, adding that the few NGOs the council was challenged with should step up and follow the footsteps of the NGOs performing well in the district.

He recognised the role of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development in guiding NGOs in providing service delivery for the people of the country.

On his part, the Acting Deputy Director of NGO Affairs, Kelvin Kallay said as a Ministry they have a role to ensure that they strengthen relationship between NGOs and Local Councils in order to effectively deliver services, especially at the local level.

Acting Deputy Director Kallay challenged the NGOs to ensure that their presence in the county is not only felt but impact positively on the lives of the people they are serving.

“The majority of the NGOs are doing a good job in complementing activities of the local council and national government but there are still a few whose activities are wanting and we have to carnage that, so ensuring that NGOs, Local Councils and MDAs have good relationships among themselves is a step in the right direction”, said the Acting Deputy Director.

He urged the Development Planning Officers to be committed in their work and ensure they make use of the two-day retreat that the Ministry conducted for them on the Service Level Agreement and the use of the Dropbox.

Earlier in Kambia District, the Chairman of the Civil Society Movement for Kambia District, Gibril Gortor expressed his appreciation to NGOs for their cooperation in management of development programs in Kambia district.

He called on the some of the non-performing NGOs to step up and follow the footsteps of performing NGOs in the district. He referred to the various coordination platform initiative set up in the district to coordinate activities of NGOs in the all sectors to ensure effective service delivery.

The discussion session for Kambia and Port Loko Districts was also moderated by Madam Mbalu Kamara, Deputy Director, Rural Development, MoPED, who engaged the respective participants on what has worked well at both national and district level, what has not worked well and what needed to be done differently in strengthening NGO and Local Council relationship.

The Team will move to Koinadugu, Bombali, Tonkolili and Kono Districts in the coming days.