Take a keen interest in community projects’ implementation - NCCE

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged the citizenry to identify, prioritise and take a keen interest in the implementation of their communities’ socio-economic projects.

Madam Doris Gbongbo, the Bono Regional Director of the Commission, gave the advice on Saturday when she held separate social auditing engagements with residents of Addae Boreso, a farming Community near Nsoatre in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region.

The fora involving 25 women and 31 men, included the traditional leaders and aimed to enable residents to identify community needs to be provided by either the Municipal Assembly or the central government.

Organised by the NCCE with financial support from the European Union (EU), the social auditing meeting is a nationwide project for the implementation of Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ARAP).

The ARAP is intended to enhance citizens' active involvement in promoting good governance through the improvement of accountability and compliance with the rule of law.

Mad. Gbongbo said the citizenry interest in their communities’ development activities would ensure effective monitoring and execution of projects being implemented for quality work and completion on schedule to attain value for money through accountability.

She said it would promote community ownership of development projects and create awareness of the operations of local governance and empower the citizenry to demand accountability from duty-bearers to reduce acts of corruption.

Being a farming community, the people mentioned lack of financial support, need for improved seedlings for perennial and seasonal crops such as maize, vegetables and tubers like cassava and yam and farm inputs, including fertilizers and agro-chemicals to improve farming activities as some of their major needs.

During the week, Mad. Gbongbo, accompanied by some members of staff, held similar engagements in some communities in the Jaman North District and the Sunyani, Berekum and Jaman South Municipalities in the region.