GACC to sign MOU with assemblies to promote accountability

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC)is taking steps to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 16 district and municipal assemblies to implement its Accountable Democratic Institutions and System Strengthening (ADISS) project.

The five-year ADISS project, is being implemented in 50 districts across the country by a consortium of three civil society organizations (CSOs) including SEND-Ghana, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and GACC with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

It is a comprehensive anti-corruption programme that seeks to scale up the fight against corruption and strengthen citizen’s demand for accountability and it is being implemented through the Local Accountability Network (LANet), its strategic partners in the districts.

GACC is facilitating the implementation of the project in 16 out of the 50 districts and the signing of the MoU with the beneficiary assemblies is informed by its quest to get the assemblies to show more commitment to the fight against corruption.

Mr. Kwesi Boateng Assumeng, Programmes Officer of GACC said it was important for the assemblies to allow vibrant CSOs at the local levels and key stakeholders to partake in assembly meetings to promote transparency in their operations.

He said the frequent changes in the management of the assemblies, has necessitated the need for the signing of the MoU to ensure a working document that would serve as a point of reference for continuity.

He was speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting at Bibiani in the Bibiani Anwiaso Bekwai Municipality to discuss ways of sustaining the gains made since the introduction of the project in the Municipality in 2014.

The meeting, which was also attended by officials of the assembly was also to advocate for active participation and engagement of civil society into the operations of the assembly.

Mr. Assumeng entreated the assembly not deny citizens information on funding and execution of development projects to enable them monitor projects in their communities and demand answers when necessary.

Citizens must, however, not be confrontational in their demand for accountability but always resort to dialogue for mutual benefit.