Government and stakeholders in rural and community development have been tasked to empower and equip community members with tools and skills in decision-making to ensure sustainability of interventions.
The call was made by the Ghana Programs Director for Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), Nana Ama Osei Kyei-Baffour at the launch of Citizen Committee Network (CICONET) in Nkoranza in the Nkoranza Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region.
CICONET is an initiative by ACA to empower community members to demand accountability in local governance.
According to her, the Local Government Accountability Project is to bring local governance closer to citizens and to bridge the information gap between citizens and the assembly.
“For development to happen, it takes both community members and government to take action and generate solutions to common problems collectively. Community members must be included in decision making, communities must know their roles and responsibilities and should be encouraged to partake in all developmental intervention to ensure its sustainability”, she implored.
Ms Osei Kyei-Baffour tasked the members of CICONET to demonstrate commitment by networking to build on community advocacy tool to demand accountability from government and other stakeholders.
“This is community-driven advocacy tool which is a tribute to the late Peter Osei Nimako of Donko Nkwanta who fought and successfully discouraged a mining company from mining from taking over Kyeredeso, Salamkrom, Nwoase and Donko Nkwanta communities in the municipality for their mining activities.
She, therefore, pledged her organizations readiness to support communities with micro-grants to implement their desired project
She, therefore, called on the traditional authorities, head of departments, NGOs and residents to collaborate and encourage them to sustain the network for the betterment of the area.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Diana Attaa-Kusiwaa for her part commended ACA for the intervention and noted it was in line with the assembly’s plan to promote healthy relations between it and residents.
“There is a clear lack of understanding of how the local governance system operates and so with this intervention; we will a more informed citizenry to contribute to nation building”, she observed.
She pledged the assembly’s commitment to assist the network in the discharge of their duties and charged them to be committed to their responsibilities.
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By: Mashoud Kombat/citinewsroom.com/Ghana