Tamale, Sagnarigu residents score GWL 34.16%, NEDCo 39% for service delivery

A community scorecard on the performance of service providers on revenue mobilisation and utilisation has scored Ghana Water Limited (GWL) 34.16 per cent.

The scorecard also scored the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) 39% in view of issues of interrupted power supply, illegal connections, challenges in the billing processes and poor customer service.

The scorecard, generated by citizens in the Tamale and Sagnarigu Municipalities, based their assessment on issues of inadequate water supply to residents, inappropriate water billing, quality of water supply, and poor customer service, among others.

This was made known at a consultative forum held in Tamale to come out with data that would empower citizens and civil society organisations to legitimately engage local governments for improved social service delivery, especially on pro-poor services.

The forum, organised by Norsaac, an NGO, in collaboration with the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and EDUWATCH, and funded by Oxfam in Ghana, formed part of the implementation of a two-year project dubbed: “Strengthening Advocacy on Inclusive Democracy in Ghana (SAID-Ghana)”.

It brought together stakeholders, including chiefs, youth groups, market women associations, hoteliers’ associations, and labour unions for more comprehensive training on the use of the community scorecards to help make duty-bearers in the two assemblies more transparent and accountable.

Three thematic areas were considered for the assessment, which included water supply, electricity and mobilisation and utilisation of revenues at the assemblies.

The assemblies also scored 48.44 in terms of revenue mobilisation and utilisation.

Mr James Nachibu, Programme Manager at Norssac, speaking during the event in Tamale, said the exercise was targeted at enhancing transparency and accountability from duty-bearers to improve social service delivery for the citizenry.

He said the outcome of the scores would serve as the basis for citizen-local government engagements through sector reviews, and annual performance reviews amongst others.

Dr Kojo Impraim, Director of Research and Advocacy at MFWA, said citizens must demonstrate more patriotism by coming out with empirical data on issues affecting them to draw government and other stakeholders’ attention to their plight.

Alhaji Mohammed Seidu, Vice Chairman of Livestock Farmers Association in the Tamale Metropolis expressed worry over poor delivery and access to social services, especially water supply, saying it was adversely affecting their businesses.

He was optimistic that the service providers, after the interface meeting with them, would put in place measures to improve their services for sustainable development.