Support unit committees financially-Owusu

Sekondi, Nov 07, GNA - Mr Kwaku Baa Owusu, the Western Regional Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), on Monday said unit committees should be given some financial support when proposals to increase the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) from five to seven percent are approved.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sekondi, he said this would enable unit committees to play their constitutional role.

Mr Owusu said when the committees were resourced they could undertake projects to supplement the efforts of the assemblies. He said lack of motivation and incentives for members of unit committees was one reason why many of them are not functioning. Mr Owusu said the government had not been able to support unit committees because there are about 15,000 unit committees with 10 members each in the country.

He suggested that the size of the committees be reduced and if possible, one third appointed membership scrapped. Mr Owusu said the committees are not functioning in some areas because communities expected them to solve all problems and in other areas, assembly members usurp their functions.