Assemblies to share information on projects

Mr Emmanuel K. Mintah, Executive Director of Ampa Resources Organisation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has asked metropolitan municipal and district assemblies to explain their developmental plans and expenditures to the people.

He said by so doing the communities would know the projects being undertaken by the assemblies, the time limit for the completion of the projects and the amount being spent on the projects for social accountability.

Mr Mintah gave the advice at a day’s “Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (SPEFA)” workshop organized by the NGO at Nsawam-Adoagyiri.

It was sponsored by the World Bank and the SNV-Ghana in collaboration with the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly and attended by about 120 participants drawn from the municipality.

The participants included assembly members, traditional rulers, opinion leaders and heads of department, who were taken through Municipal Medium Term Plan and the statutory obligations of assemblies towards the development of communities.

Mr Mintah said the chief executives of the assemblies were required at any forum or workshop to tell the people the envisaged projects, when it would start, their completion and the cost involved.

Mr Senyo Tsikata, Project Assistant of SNV-Ghana said the SPEFA was being implemented in 34 municipal and district assemblies and Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly is one of them.

He said the workshop was aimed at making the people at the grassroot know what goes on in their various assemblies and to exercise their rights by demanding and holding the assemblies accountable on their social responsibilities.

Mr Tsikata said such forums would go a long way in helping to curb embezzlement of tax payers moneys meant for development projects to improve the life of the citizenry.