Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition trains new accountability officers

The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, (GACC) in partnership with the Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana) is organising training for 12 officials of the newly created Local Accountability Networks (LANets) in Accra.

Mr Samuel Harrison-Cudjo, a Research Officer at the GACC, said the training was part of efforts by the organisations to disseminate and educate citizens on the CDD-Ghana’s “I Am Aware” Project, at the district level.

The new LANets Officials are from the Karaga, Sagnarigu, Gushegu, Nkoranza South, Kadjebi and Ada East Districts,

They would be trained be able to use up-to-date information and evidence-based data on the state of public service delivery in the country.

They would specifically cover data related state of infrastructure and its provision, resource allocation, and service delivery outcomes in the provision of basic education, health, water, sanitation, security, roads and agriculture to demand for accountability from duty-bearers.

Mr Mohammed Awal, a Research and Programme Officer at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, at the opening of the training programme, on Wednesday, said the LANets comprised Civil Society Organisations, Community-Based Organisations and other organised interest groups in the District.

These, he said, also included Women’s groups, Persons with Disability groups, Religious groups (both Christians and Muslims), youth groups, opinion and Traditional leaders, artisans’ associations and market women Associations.

He explained that the LANet concept sought to enhance the capacity of civil society actors at the local level for effective engagement and collaboration between civil society and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to promote citizens’ participation in governance.

Mr Awal said the “I Am Aware” was the CDD-Ghana’s flagship project, on accountability and transparency.

It is a non-partisan citizen empowerment campaign, while the LANets exist in 33 districts in seven regions comprising the Northern, Western, Central, Brong-Ahafo, Volta, Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions.

He said the project collected, analysed, archived, and disseminated user-friendly socio-economic data on the state of public good and public service delivery in 216 districts, located in all the 10 regions.

The aim, he said, was to empower citizens, particularly, the poor and vulnerable, to improve their awareness and engagement with duty-bearers in order to make them more accountable and responsive.

He explained that the data was in formats that were easily accessible to citizens to empower them to demand accountability and responsiveness from duty-bearers, while seeking improvement in investment outcomes in the public sector.

It also tracked commitments and promises made by public officials and duty bearers to improve public service delivery and disseminated the progress made twice a year during the project period.

The GACC is a cross-sectoral grouping of public, private and civil society organisations with the sole aim of building a national effort to confront the problem of corruption and advance effective control measures.