HOLD ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR STEWARDSHIP (PAGE 15)

PARTICIPANTS at a workshop in Tamale on social auditing have bemoaned the inability of the citizenry to hold their elected representatives, duty bearers and public officials accountable for their stewardship.
They stated that such a situation had impacted negatively on poverty reduction efforts by the government, non-governmental organisations and other development partners in rural communities.
According to the participants, both the government and its development partners must provide adequate resources to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to effect behavioural change among Ghanaians, particularly regarding their civic responsibilities.
They further observed that the NCCE was “cash strapped”, making it virtually impossible for the institution to function properly and to fulfil its mandatory roles that included making the public aware of their civic responsibilities.
The participants included heads of decentralised departments, security service personnel, representatives of civil society groups, assembly members and community-based organisations.
They entreated public-spirited organisations to partner the NCCE in its social auditing project, among other interventions.
The workshop was aimed, among other objectives, at brainstorming on how best to facilitate the creation and use of civic centres like Area, Zonal and Urban Councils, for effective civic engagement with service providers and people in authority.
It was organised by the NCCE in collaboration with Action Aid International, a non-governmental organisation.
The Northern Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr Husheini Sulemana Haruna, urged the participants to form formidable social groups to cross-fertilise ideas to effect rapid change in the society.
According to him, social auditing promoted good governance, the right to engage duty bearers, the involvement of citizens in the development process and civic engagement.
The Tamale Metropolitan Director of the NCCE, Alhaji Mohammed Baba, said the benefits of social auditing included achievement of intended results, safeguarding of local and national assets and citizens participation in governance to reduce poverty.