The Kwahu South District Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held its social auditing engagement under the theme: “Citizens for Transparency and Accountability”.
The forum, which was held at Twenedurase in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern Region, aimed at promoting community ownership of development projects and policies, increasing awareness of the operations of local government and empowering the public to demand accountability from duty bearers.
The participants were taken through accountability, rule of law, and anti-corruption programme (ARAP) which is a joint anti-corruption initiative between the government and the European Union.
The District Director of NCCE, Ticklar Asante-Asiamah, in her welcome address, said ‘social audits’ on planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects and programmes promote understanding among the public and duty bearers.
She said it also gives opportunities for persons outside government operations to influence policymaking, its implementation as well as evaluation.
According to her, good governance involved making decisions and implementing the decisions in a manner that is “participatory, consensus-oriented, accountable, transparent, effective and efficient, equitable, inclusive and guided by the rule of law.”
Adjei Mframah, who is the NACAP District focal person, said the ordinary people have a role to play in curbing corruption in the country by reporting corrupt acts for investigation.
The Kwahu South District Chief Executive, Emmanuel Atta-Ofori Snr., in responding to some of the issues raised, stated that the community should, as a matter of urgency, provide the land to start the construction of the school block.
Besides, he assured the community that they would be getting access to potable water very soon, saying that the assembly alone could not do it without the participation of the citizens.
The programme was chaired by the Chief of Twenedurasi, Nana Kum Nipa.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Kwahu – Twenedurase