Côte d'Ivoire/ Bonon traditional chiefs trained in local governance

Tribal and village chiefs from the Bonon department took part in a training workshop on traditional chieftaincy and local governance on Friday, August 18, 2023, at the sub-prefecture meeting room.

The workshop is being held under the patronage of Épiphane Zoro Bi, Minister for the Promotion of Good Governance and the Fight against Corruption. According to him, chieftaincy is in the midst of a crisis, and this crisis is linked to the environment in which the function of chief is exercised, as this environment is changing.

"We need to stop and think, hence the village chiefs' academy project", said Mr. Zoro Bi.

Professor Amoa Urbain, an independent expert consultant in conflict resolution, spoke to the traditional authorities about the "Traditional chieftaincies, public speaking and protocol of civility" module.

He reminded them that the chief is not an auxiliary of the Administration, but the first link in the chain, and that this training session was an important instrument to be put in place. "The chiefdom speaks through its mouth and also through its clothes", he declared, reminding those entrusted with tradition that consensus must be sought at all times.

The members of the Bonon prefectural body each dealt with a module designed to enable tribal and village chiefs to be better equipped to carry out their duties. The Prefect of Bonon, Yapi Claude Ogou, presented the module on the roles and responsibilities of the village chief, while the Prefecture's Secretary General, Richard Zemin Bi Kouassi, addressed the issue of conflict prevention and management techniques.

The sub-prefect of Zaguiéta, Mme Mel Boulon Glorissienne, spoke about the administrative organization of the chieftaincy, while the sub-prefect of Bonon, Tiéné Ségbé, closed the module on traditional chieftaincy and peaceful cohabitation.

In addition to tribal and village chiefs, presidents of mutual societies and youth associations were invited to this training workshop, to put an end to role confusion, according to the Prefect of Bonon.

Source: www.aip.ci/