Citizens urged to participate in governance

Accra, April 21, GNA - Mr Larry Bimi, Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), on Friday said local participation in governance and social auditing of State institutions by the citizenry was crucial to alleviate poverty in the country. He said for the country to attain its development objectives, citizens must monitor and hold accountable those entrusted with power and responsibility to man the country, to ensure that they performed to task.

Mr Bimi was speaking at a press briefing in Accra on this year's National Constitution Week Celebration, which would be on the theme: "Local Participation and Social Auditing for Poverty Reduction." The celebration, which is the sixth in the series, would be celebrated throughout the country, to create and sustain awareness on the provisions, principles and objectives of the 1992 Constitution as the fundamental law of the country.

Mr Bimi said the country's governance paradigm had the people and the district assemblies at its base and they must be responsible for their own governance and be fully engaged in the development process. "Social auditing is not about Parliament, the Judiciary or Executive. It is about the citizens and the district assemblies, because whiles the State initiates the policies, citizens must ensure that the nation moves the way they want", he said.

Mr Bimi urged the public to serve as watchdogs and to make constructive criticisms in order for the country to attain the Millennium Development Goals.

Mr Napoleon Agboada, Director of Public Education of the NCCE, said the celebration would contribute to increased interest and participation of all in the democratic dispensation, to achieve good governance, political stability, national integration and development. He said the Sixth Constitution Week would reinforce the concept of social auditing to empower citizens to develop civic knowledge and skills, create confidence in them to ask leaders questions, demand answers and become active participants in governance. "Apathy is an enemy of good governance in towns and villages. Our attempt to raise grassroots activism will make even the most apathetic village or community to wake up and exercise its constitutional rights and responsibilities" he said.

Mr Agboada said the community outreach programmes being organised countrywide to serve as platforms for public opinion from which local needs would be brought to the attention of the District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies.

Programme outline for the celebrations include constitutional game competitions for 11 second cycle institutions across the country, panel discussions, highlight of the celebration on TV3, forums for the security agencies, as well as other regional and district programmes. 21 April 06