Jirapa Municipal NCCE engages Yibile community on social auditing

The Jirapa Municipal office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has engaged Yibile community members in Jirapa on social auditing.

The forum, attended by more than 450 community members, formed part of NCCE’s implementation of its flagship programme on Accountability, Rule of Law, and Anti-corruption Programme (ARAP).

The national programme sought to reduce corrupt practices, ensure transparency, improve accountability and promote good governance at all levels of Ghana’s social strata.

In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, the Jirapa Municipal Director of NCCE, Mr Ambaahikpiengu Norbert, said the engagement took place on 27th August 2020 at Yibile in Jirapa where projects were prioritised.

He said social auditing had been introduced to get people to participate actively in the governance process of their respective electoral areas to allow effective engagement with duty-bearers for good performance.

It is also projected to empower community members to demand accountability with regards to the planning and implementation of projects that affect their daily lives and guarantee good governance towards improved livelihoods.

“For effective good governance everybody must be accountable, transparent, follow rule of law, be responsive and participate in decision making,” Mr Norbert said in the statement.

"Gone are the days when community members sat aloof and looked on as government and other development partners executed projects, he noted that were not in the interest of beneficiary communities."

But today, he said, “All projects being undertaken by government and others must be scrutinized by community members through proper dialogue to ensure value for money as they are the direct beneficiaries of these projects.”

He added there was the need to rekindle the communal spirit that was once burning in the citizens. “This will enable them solve their own problems instead of the over dependence on the central government.”

According to him, it came to light at the drawing of community prioritization projects during the forum that Yibile No.1 Community with a population of about 450 people has only one borehole, which made several women queue for over three hours before collecting a basin of water.

“Some resort to fetching water from a stream competing with their animals,” he said, noting that people’s immediate need was potable water, and therefore called for speedy provision of a borehole for the Community.

Other members, he said, also identified school block, clinic and reshaping of their roads as the community’s needs.

Mr Nobert said a five-member Social Auditing Committee was formed and sworn to initiate regular dialogue with duty-bearers on their priority needs.

The Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Abudul Karimu, was quoted as saying, “engagements are very important as they truly reflect the actual felt needs of the community people.”

He asked the community to exercise patience while their needs were looked into by Municipal authorities, saying: “If the Assembly is not able to provide you with these needs today or tomorrow, it doesn’t mean we don’t like you, it is just that the resources available are limited, but you will also get your share.”

Assistant Civic Education Officer, Madam Millicent Dery, called on the community members to adhere to the measures and protocols on COVID-19 to stay safe.