African municipalities meet to discuss service delivery
An event under an international Peer Review (IPR) programme set up to enhance learning and sharing of knowledge on ways to improve on service delivery in municipalities has taken place at Adentan in Accra.
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The event involved presentations on activities carried out by the various departments of the Adentan Municipal Assembly as their ways by which they render services to the public.
The programme was funded by the European Union at an estimated cost of €1.5 million. Officials of the Adantan Municipal Assebly and representatives of municipalities in two partner countries, namely The Gambia and Zimbabwe attended the event which offered the opportunity for strengthening local governance relations between them and their host.
The programme was held under the auspices of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), the Urban Council Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) and The Gambia Association of Local Authorities (GALGA).
The Municipal Chief Executive of the Adentan Municipal Assembly (AdMA), Mr Benjamin Angenu, in an address, said there was the need for more of such collaborative programmes among local authorities all over Africa in order that they might learn from each other and come up with best ways to deliver services in their localities.
"These partnerships will be a catalyst for Africa's democratic development, which will help lift our citizens out of abject poverty," he added.
UCAZ commends
The General Secretary of the UCAZ, Mr Tserayi Machinda, commended the AdMA for its methods of service delivery, which promote good governance.
He said the Adentan example highlighted the importance of equity, accountability, gender and citizen participation and transparency in delivering effective and efficient services in a municipality.
Partnership
The Communications Officer of NALAG, Mrs Amy Efa Poku, said the IPR programme was not an audit event but rather an opportunity for participants to learn and share knowledge in local governance.
She said NALAG would continue to work in partnership with associations and organisations of similar nature in order to achieve best practices in governance at the local level.