Details of ICDA Presentation of Ijesaland Development Fund's Governance Structure & Sustainability Frameworks to Ijesaland Community Development Associations

The Ijesaland Community Development Assembly (ICDA) on Friday at the Obokungbusi City Hall, Ilesa, Osun State, had an interactive session with the structure of Ijesaland Community Development Councils (CDCs) spread over all the 6 local government areas and the 6 Local Government Development Councils (ICDAs) on the governance structure, main principles, logic, adequacy, transparency, efficiency and sustainability of the Ijesaland Development Fund (IDF) so that the mechanisms and procedures involved should be all-encompassing and can be applied repeatedly.

Addressing the gathering, Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi Asiwaju of Ijesaland and Chairman of ICDA clearly stated information regarding the governance structure to allow the initiative to run as smoothly and productively as possible.

The paper that members of the ICDA took turns to read to the hearing of CDA members highlighted the framework of the IDF management, especially regarding rules, procedures, roles and the division of responsibilities with the sole aim of keeping the project in check, allowing it to run flawlessly and in accordance with the plan; providing clear guidelines critical for the initiative's success; establishing clear guidelines, roles, and responsibilities: The principles of a robust governance structure that ensures that the framework is reasonable, adaptable, and capable of facilitating smooth project execution.

The document presented a strategic management presentation on corporate sustainability while working with Traditional rulers, local community leaders; the Communities Development Associations (CDAs), otherwise known as Community Development Committees comprising of their Secretaries, Women Representatives,Assistant Secretaries, Public Relations Officers, Auditors and Project Coordinators.

MONITORING ROLES OF CDCs

The CDCs shall be charged with the oversight responsibility of monitoring the development projects and activities of the body of Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMs). This it shall be doing on a quarterly basis of every three months. It's monitoring report shall be submitted to both the Chairman of the LGA Traditional Rulers Council and Chairman Board of ICDA not later than five working days after the completion of the monitoring exercise.

REPORTING AND APPROVAL HIERARCHY

Each WGMs shall regularly conduct DEVELOPMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT of its Ward and submít the same to the Executive Body of WGMs at the Local Government. The Executive Body shall appraise and evaluate submission from each of the Wards in the LGA in order to prioritize and spread development activities across the commnunities in the LGA sbject to the available funds raised in the LGA.

The Body of WGMs shall thereafter forward it's Project Identification and Budget Reports to the LGA CDC for its appraisal on feasibility, faimess, spread, and sustainability.

Both the reports of the Body of WGMs and that of the LGA CDC shall thereafter be forwarded to the LGA Traditional Rulers Council who shall provide the approval for the Identified Comnmunity Development Projects.

The approved Development Projects shall then be forwarded to the Board of ICDA for its consent where it shall be confirmed that all due processes are respected in arriving at the final approval.

IJESA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSEMBLY (1CDA) BOARD, ITS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE OPERATIONS OF IDF.

ljesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) Board is the apex body in the administration of the Ijesa Development Fund (IDF) and the ICDA Board shall comprise mainly of the Trustees and the Management team.

The two bodies shall constitute the ICDA Board. From this board, we would be able allocate one member of the board to superintend and monitor the activities of the Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMs) and also follow up on the activities of the Community Development Associations (CDAs) otherwise known as the Community Development Committees (CDCs). The representative for cach LGA shall also be the one to liaise with the Local Government Traditional Rulers Council and ensure that there is a seamless relationship between the Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMS) and the Community Development Associations (CDAs) or Community Development Committees (CDCs) in their communications and their approvals, so that when all the document gets to the ICDA Board, the ICDA Board will just simply check that all the due processes have been followed and observed, in ensuring that projects are evenly distributed, projects that are being chosen are of socio-economic advantage to the communities and that in addition to all of these, projects that are being chosen meets all the feasibility criteria in terms of being environmentally, operationally, technically, financially, sustainability feasible and where it has to do with product sale, it has to be market feasible.

All these areas of feasibility will be considered right from the level of Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMs). Then at the ICDA Board, part of the roles of the ICDA Board will also be to conduct the capacity building trainings for the Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMS) where they shall be exposed to trainings on needs identification and assessment; how do they identify the nceds in the community? How do they assess, appraise the needs of the community taking into considerations all stakeholders in the community; women, men, young, old, vulnerable, etc? Other trainings that will be provided to them free of charge by the Board of ICDA will be in the areas of Project Management and Procurement Management. The Procurement Management will equip the Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMS) on how to procure all their input? How to give out jobs to contractors locally?

How to get best prices for all inputs that are being employed? In order to ensure that there is fairness, judicious application of the IDE, all of these will come under the Procurement Management Training. Financial Management training will prepare lhe Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMs) on how to maintain financial records of resources coming to the LGA?

How to maintain all records that will be shared with other stakeholders in the LGA and outside. Other trainings like Good Governance and Leadership is based on how to equip the Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMs) to ensure that in their management of community project, there is a good governance, transparency, accountability, and leadership. Trainings will also be provided to the Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMs) on how to keep records, report and disseminate or share whatever they are doing right from the ward with the ljesa community through the website.

A website will be created and ICDA is already discussing with the banks in Ijesaland with a view to engage those banks with infrastructures and facilities with which can serve the peculiar needs of Iíesa Development Fund (1DF), whereby as payments are being made to the ljesa Development Fund (IDF) purse, the details of the donor in terms of name, title, gender, address, amount, and the LGA of the beneficiaries. All those details will be easily captured at the time of making payment into the account. These are the inputs that will be transferred automatically to the website which anybody can open and check the names of those in the register of Ijesa Developers at any period in time.

Whatever projects that are being done by these various communities, the pictures and the stages at which they are shall be posted from time to tine on the website for interested members to access across the globe.

At the end of every November in each year, we shall close the register in order to enable us generate hard copy.

The hard copy will be sold at a cost price to anybody who is interested in keeping a copy for records. The online copy will always be there 24/7, so that it will be able to receive payment from prospective donors 24/7 in 365 days.

The ICDA Board will be able to also serve in the committee of Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMs), so that whenever decisions are being taken, they will represent an independent view and opinion. The membership of the ICDA that will be deployed to the LGA Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMS) will be those not from that LGA.

If for instance, somebody from ICDA Board is sent to Obokun, such a person will not be from Obokun LGA. He/she could come from any of the other 5 LGAS in Ijesaland. This is to ensure independent view, opinion and contributions to deliberations being made, and of course from time to time, ICDA Board will also carry its own independent monitoring of the development projects as it will be scheduled.

The question will now be that how will the ICDA raise money for its own logistic support when going out to the field to monitor the activities of the Ward Grassroot Managers (WGMs), follow up meetings with the Community Development Associations (CDAs) otherwise known as the Community Development Committees (CDCs) or going to the field to meet with the Local Government Traditional Rulers Council?

The ICDA Board would not take money from the ljesa Development Fund (IDF), we have said it before that 1% will go to the body of WGMs and 1% will also go to the Community Development Associations (CDAS) otherwise known as the Community Development Committees (CDCs). These are merely to serve as logistic support for their day to day running of their activities. We are depending largely on volunteers who will be rendering selfless service to their respective communities. So for the ICDA Board, where the need arises, we would generate independent fund from the ICDA members that are contained or listed on the ICDA platform. Under no circumstance shall ICDA Board draw any money for its operations from whatever fund that is realized under the lịesa Development Fund (IDF).

At the end of the day, it is our hope that we will be coming up with Ijesa Development Fund (IDF) which will be competitive and that will allow all communities to encourage their Sons, Daughters and Youths wherever they could be under the sun to contribute towards the development project of their respective communities in Ijesaland.

ICDA contingents included, Vice Chairman, Rev'd Lowo Adebiyi, Alagba Wale Idowu, Chief Afolabi Igbaroola, Erelu Jumoke Olafadehan, Chief Mrs. Yemisi Falope, Mr. Bukola Fadipe and Engr. Busayo Aluko.

Some of the CDAs leadership in attendance included Mr. Adeyemi Isaac, CDC Chairman, Atakumosa West local government; Hon. Joseph Ojo Ogunromila, Zonal Vice Chairman, Obokun LG; Mr. Opesanmi Opebiyi, Chairman, Ilesa West LGA; Mr. Ganiyu Wahab, Vice Secretary, Atakumosa West LGA; Mrs. Yusuf Kikelomo, Auditor, Atakumosa West LGA; Mrs Christianah Ajetomobi, Vice Secretary, Obokun East LCDA; Chief Jacob Odeyemi, P.R,O, Obokun LGA and Prince Adediran Adejola, Zonal P.R.O/Project Coordinator, Ilesa North East LCDA amongst others.

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