Kombosgo (UE), June 28, GNA - GrassRootsAfrica, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) operating in the Upper East Region is using Local Civic Coalitions (LCCs) project to empower the people to demand accountability and transparency from public office holders.
This came to light when 33 members of the LCCs attended a stakeholders workshop organised by the NGO on Tuesday at Kombosgo in the Bolgatanga Municipality dubbed: 93Experience Sharing and Best Practices Workshop."
Members of the LCCs group from Sumbrungu Area Council cited an instance when they invited the Budget Officer from the Municipal Assembly to explain the money earmarked for the development of their area.
Based on this a lot of people from the community for the first time were privileged to contribute and make inputs on development projects.
The LCCs members from Talensi-Nabdam said majority of people in their area did not know that they could attend district assembly sessions and contribute during the sittings.
Mr Martin Kolog, Chairman of the Talensi-Nabdam LCCs said now most members of the area councils are now very enlightened and this is enhancing the decentralisation process as the people at the grass roots level could now contribute effectively to the decision making process.
The LCCs had stopped the works of some contractors who were engaged in shoddy work in their localities.
The LCCs members from Bawku West stopped two contractors from using wrong materials to build two junior high schools, at Zanwgire and Sapeliga.
The LCCs had also raised the level of communal spirit and volunteerisms among the people.
"I have no problem when it comes to organising labour for development= in my community. A lot of people turned up for the construction of a borehole and a dam I initiated at my constituency," Mrs Lucy Aziabah, Assemblywoman for Kandiga said.
The Capacity Building Officer of GrassRootsAfrica, Mr Atulley Kennedy who facilitated the workshop entreated the participants to educate more people in their communities to participate in the decision making process.
He said his outfit was complementing government's efforts for the effective implementation of the decentralisation process, especially at the grass roots level and commended the LCCs members for implementing various programmes at their community levels.
