Ibis West Africa supports district assemblies in Upper East

Bolgtanga, June 10, GNA - Ibis West Africa, a Danish non-governmental organization (NGO) working to promote good governance, is supporting all the nine districts assemblies in the Upper East Region to implement the local government system. Speaking to the GNA the Programme Facilitator of Ibis West Africa in-charge of Upper East Region, Mr. Alexis Adugdaa Ayamdor, said the project was piloted in the Bawku West District, Bawku Municipality and the Garu-Tempane District. Town and Area councils of these assemblies have been strengthened. He said research conducted by his outfit showed that majority of the sub-structures like the urban, town and area councils of in the three northern regions and other parts of the country were non-functional.

He said it was against this backdrop that Ibis West Africa was supporting district assemblies with funding to help with the implementation of the decentralization concept. Mr Ayamdor said the project, which is expected to be executed in all the nine districts, would last for 5 years and the objectives of the programme was to ensure that citizens participated actively on issues affecting them in decision-making.

"It will support district assemblies to strengthen and open up more district sub-structures, empower civil society organizations to actively engage government departments and support the vulnerable such as women and children as well as people with disabilities to take part in decision making on issues affecting them." He said the programme would also be extended to some parts of the Northern Region, and Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region. Mr Ayamdor appealed to the assemblies to encourage more women to participate in the forthcoming district assembly elections and also appealed to traditional authorities and men to also encourage women to take up political appointments.