Asantehene calls for dialogue

...between government and the traditional authorities

Kumasi, Oct 25, GNA-The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has suggested the need for closer dialogue between the Government and the traditional authorities to facilitate national development.

He said such a dialogue could help in the monitoring and evaluation of public funds allocated for development activities. Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the suggestion in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of the sixth Development Dialogue Series of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Monday.

It is being organised by the World Bank, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Planning Research of KNUST.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said traditional leaders were natural and obvious partners in the development process and governance. The three-day workshop, on the theme: "Decentralising the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS): The Need For Social Accountability", is being attended by traditional and religious leaders, academicians, the Donor Community, journalists, the district assemblies and the civil society groups.

The Asantehene said traditional leaders were as much concerned about reducing poverty in their communities.

Professor Gyan Baffour, the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), who gave a progress report on the GPRS, said a lot of progress had been made in the areas of modernising agriculture, education, health and micro economic stability. Prof. Kwesi Andam, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, said the University was seeking innovative approaches through research to reduce poverty.

He called on all stakeholders to contribute their quota to reduce poverty.

Mr. Carlos Cavalcanti, a World Bank representative, said leadership and partnership were key ingredients for effective development process.

He said social accountability was very important and urged the participants to develop strategies that would help improve accountability at the local levels.