IDEG calls for strengthening of citizen participation in local government
The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) has called for the strengthening of citizen participation in local governance.
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This, according to IDEG would help improve civic and social accountability in public service.
IDEG made the call during a collaborative meeting with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development during which findings on a Local Government and Decentralisation project carried out in the Shama, Prestea-Huni Valley and Tarkwa-Nsuaem districts of the Western Region with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were presented.
IDEG noted that citizen’s participation in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of economic and social policies and programmes were generally weak and ineffective at the local government level.
Mr Cosmos Kwame Akorli, the project head said citizen groups such as assembly members, traditional council and ordinary citizens were a critical component in community based organisations but sadly lacked capacity in that regard.
Building capacities of these groups will go a long way to involve them in the engagement and implementation of activities in the community, he said.
According to him, less attention was also paid to mobilizing citizens to participate in public policy processes and added that the few who get involved have limited capacity in research, policy knowledge, resource mobilization and networking with the right institutions for effective collaboration.
Mr Ewald Quaye Carr. acting Programmes Manager for IDEG said challenges such as low internal revenue generation, over reliance on central government funding, delays and irregularities in the disbursement of funds such as the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), District Development Fund (DDF), and the Minerals Development Fund has led to the stalling of development projects and the inability to undertake effective monitoring of public services.
He said the challenges have the potential to entrench poverty and inequality and undermine Ghana's decentralisation system and therefore urged government and other stakeholders to address these challenges expeditiously.
