The Zenu Liberty ADR Centre, a community mediation facility in Zenu near Ashaiman, has renewed its commitment towards helping members of communities in and around Ashaiman to resolve their disputes.
According to the Centre, because the quick resolution of disputes is key in ensuring public peace, it remains determined to fast-track the mediation of disputes among individuals and organisations.
However, the centre is facing a number of challenges which could hinder its effectiveness if not addressed.
Mr Isaac Yaw Mensah, Head of the Zenu Liberty ADR Centre, told ADR Daily in an interview that the centre is badly in need of logistics and infrastructure to be able to handle the increasing demand for its services.
He said funding continues to be a major constraint in expanding the operations of the Centre, saying that about 50 percent of the services offered are pro bono.
According to him, the overall income generated through the payment fees by parties, “is very small and insufficient to take care of the facilities,” he added.
“The little I receive is what I use to buy stationery, pay electricity bills and fix the furniture,” he added.
Located adjacent the Zenu market, the Zenu Liberty ADR Centre is housed in a wooden structure with just one office which also doubles as the mediation room.
In 2017, the centre received a total of 299 cases out of which 290 were successfully settled. These cases included 183 tenancy, 11 child maintenance, 89 debt, ten land, four marital and two family disputes.
To enhance the performance of the Centre, Mr Mensah called for the support of stakeholders to enable the centre to do more.
Currently, Mr. Mensah is the only mediator at the centre, but he believes that with the necessary assistance from stakeholders, the Centre could engage additional mediators as such the quick resolution of disputes is a hassle because being the only one makes it difficult to handle the large number of cases that he receives.
He is also convinced that getting a spacious office facility would help to improve its services to generate interest and encourage more people to report to ADR to settle disputes.
By: Fred Gadese-Mensah/adrdaily.com
