NCCE calls on Media to collaborate on Social Auditing campaign

Mr Benjamin Amenfi Junior, the Ahanta West Municipal Director of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHARJ), has called on the media to help in educating the public on the need to actively monitor development projects.

He also encouraged them to ask the relevant questions and ensure that such projects were executed on budget and within actual timelines.

The media according to Mr. Amenfi Junior, must play a critical role in publishing results of audited projects and also advocate citizens’ rights to information.

He said the media should more than ever take interest in issues or wrongs uncovered during auditing of such projects and its negative effects on national purse and development as against sensational stories.

The CHRAJ Boss said this at a programme organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Hotopo community of the municipality, which brought together various identifiable groups under the Anti-Corruption, Rule of Law and Accountability programme (ARAP).

The ARAP, an European Union funded project, is taking place within 254 districts across the country to encourage citizens to actively participate in the governance process under the tagline "Citizens for Transparency and Accountability".

Social Auditing is a process in which details of resources both financial and nonfinancial used by duty bearers were discussed with the people concerned for community inputs.

This helps the citizenry to critically assess the performance of public policies and thereby influence the process, outcomes and impact.

Mrs. Faustina Koranteng, the NCCE Municipal Director, said the NCCE would continue to engage, educate and empower Ghanaians to know their Civic Rights and Responsibilities to enable them play their role in the discourse of the country.

She said the programme also helped persons outside government to influence policies made, evaluation and implementation, while promoting community ownership of development and increase awareness of the operations of the local government within a particular jurisdiction.