Agona District coalition of NGOs inaugurated

Agona Swedru, May 22, GNA- Parliament is to pass a bill that will facilitate the banning of non-governmental organisations that are not living up to their set objectives.

Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, who announced this at Agona Swedru in the Central Region, said the bill would also give the legal framework for the smooth operation of NGOs. He was speaking during the inauguration of the Agona District coalition of non-government organizations (CANGO).

Mr Adda said Government would not interfere with the work of NGOs so long as they operate within the national aspiration. He said some NGOs were misapplying resources allocated to them for projects, thus denting the image of the genuine ones.

The Minister said since the district assemblies were the pivot of development at the grassroots, there was the need for NGOs to liase with them before embarking on any project.

He urged the NGOs to engage in HIV/AIDS sensitisation programmes to help reduce the prevalent rate of the virus.

Ms Ekua Amua Sekyi, Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare urged NGOs to submit their annual reports regularly to her office and renew their operational certificates annually.

Mr Lewis Addai-Baah, Chairman of CANGO, said the Coalition would collaborate with the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy programme to help improve the standards of living in their operational areas. The Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Samuel Kweku Obodai swore into office the eight-member executive of the Coalition.