Ghanaians asked to demand accountability from political leaders

The Amenfi East Municipal Officer of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Daniel Akyeampong Boateng, has urged Ghanaians to demand accountability and to monitor development projects in their communities.

He also asked the citizens to promote community involvement and ownership of development projects and policies in their localities.

This, he noted, would help reduce apathy towards governance processes, ensure sustainability, reduce opportunities for corruption and enhance transparency.

Mr Boateng said this at the Amenfi East Social Auditing engagement forum at Tieku in the Amenfi East Municipality in the Western Region.

The forum organised by the NCCE with Support from the European Union forms part of the Commission's mandate to educate the public on their rights and civic responsibilities.

The programme is also part of phase two of the Social Auditing activities under the Anti-Corruption, Rule of Law and Accountability Programme (ARAP).

The Municipal Officer explained that the programme was to afford all persons outside government operations to influence policies and decision implementations.

He said social Auditing was done to promote dialogue and discourse among citizens and duty bearers or office holders on planning, implementation and monitoring of development projects and programmes.

Mr Boateng urged citizens to show particular interest in the activities and Programmes of the government by making pragmatic inputs to help in the development of the country.

Mr Barnabas Dejor Ofori, the Assembly Member for the Tieku Electoral area, lauded the NCCE for the programme.

He called on the social Audit committee to take the mandate seriously and push for the development of the area.

He mentioned electricity for the community, rehabilitation of school buildings, potable water, CHIPS Compound and a community centre as priority projects.

Mr Ofori appealed to the Chief of the area to make land available for the development projects.

Mr Frederick Adomako, the Municipal works engineer, lauded the people of Tieku for participating in the programme.

He assured them of the inclusion of their priority needs in the Assembly’s next Budget.

A five-member Social Audit committee with Mr Isaac Obeng Turkson, a unit committee member as chairman and Mr Godfred Edufey, Derrick Awuku, Ms Theresa Adabla and Mr Emmanuel Boakye as members was inaugurated to promote community involvement and ownership of development projects.

The committee is also to help increase awareness on the operations of the local government system among the citizenry and to empower them to demand accountability and to monitor development projects.