Source: Ben LARYEA
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly has organised a community durbar on social auditing at Maamobi a suburb of Accra.
The durbar seeks to create a platform for the citizenry to engage public office holders on their stewardship in the governance of public policies, programmes and the execution of projects and address challenges in the municipality.
In attendance were Unit committee and Assembly members, opinion leaders, Heads of Departments and Schools, Youth, Community leaders among others.
The NCCE Municipal Director of Ayawaso North Municipality, Mrs Eunice Nkrumah in an address said the primary purpose of the gathering is to promote community ownership of developmental projects and policies as well as increase awareness of the operations of the local governance structure and systems in the municipality.
She said the gesture is to empower the citizenry to engage and demand accountability from duty bearers on social and economic activities as well as projects under construction and others grounded to a halt as a result of inadequate funding and proposed projects that is urgently needed in the respective communities.
The Social Auditing project was launched in the year 2006 by the Commission to promote transparency and accountability among public office holders and citizens participating in governance.
According to her, the concept broadens and drives the significant elements of participatory democracy that empowers and strengthens the citizenry to demand accountability from elected and appointed persons in the course of their stewardship or in the line of duty.
Mr. Aminu Mohammed Zakari in an address read on his behalf by Mrs. Hannah Asiedu Martey, Deputy Director of Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly, said the durbar is geared towards the stocking of the Assembly’s activities in the municipality and measures to put in place to provide the needed social and economic amenities, adding that the doors of the Assembly is always open for dialogue and discussions of concerns of the citizenry.
For his part, the Agriculture Officer of the Assembly, Mr. Sydney Mettle promised to address the concerns of livestock farmers with adequate inputs to enhance the rearing of cattle, goats and sheep among others in the municipality.
In a statement, the Ayawaso North Municipal Education Directorate and Deputy Director in charge of Finance and Administration, Mr. Stephen Nartey said his outfit is introducing programmes to prioritise education for their children and explained that it is the key to a successful life and greater heights.
Issues that came up for discussion at the durbar and the Assembly commitment to address them were the construction of drains, public place of convenience, trading on pavements, faded road markings, update on the construction works of the new Assembly building, lack of stair case for disabled people to institutions, slaughtering of animals close to drains, drug abuse by the youth, absence of refuse bins at vantage points of the municipality, among others.
