'Implement Local Govt Act for development'

Some civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country have stressed the need for the effective implementation of the Local Government Act (Act 462) to allow CSOs to effectively mobilise the citizenry for development and to demand social accountability.

The CSOs observed that since they were the "mouthpiece" of the people, it was important that they were given their rightful positions at the local and district assembly level to enable them to play their roles effectively.

The Programme Manager for Governance of the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP), Madam Aba Oppong, stated this at the opening of a two-day capacity building workshop on decentralisation, local governance and social accountability in Tamale last Tuesday. 

Programme and project managers of CSOs and media personnel working on governance in the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and the three Northern regions attended the workshop.

Participants discussed issues such as good governance, local governance and decentralisation, accountability and social accountability, Ghana's decentralisation framework and action plan. 

It was organised by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) and sponsored by the European Union (EU).

According to Madam Oppong, it was critical that the leadership of the various district assemblies in the country engaged the CSOs at every level to facilitate the participation of the citizenry in local governance, thereby accelerating development at the local level.

She further noted that a significant number of the CSOs were not being engaged effectively at the district assembly level in spite of the existence of the decentralisation policy for over two decades.

A lecturer and research fellow of the ILGS,  Mr Felix Amakye,  noted that it was imperative for CSOs to make themselves visible in the local governance process.

The National Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Dr Esther Ofei-Aboagye, in a speech read on her behalf, noted that while progress regarding real decentralisation and the empowerment of local authorities were slow, the demand side of accountability had over the years "lagged behind".

She, therefore, stressed the need for CSOs to "up their game in the area of social accountability demand".

"I dare say that effective demand would have stimulated supply of accountability and good governance," she pointed out.

According to her, the interventions of large non-governmental organisations might not be sustained if sufficient social accountability capacity was not built at the local level. 

The Deputy Director of the ILGS,Tamale Campus, Mr Richard Kambootah, expressed regret that some Ghanaians were ignorant of their rights and responsibilities, particularly in demanding accountability from duty-bearers.

The Manager of Social Accountability Platform Project, Mr Edward Aboagye, entreated participants to be conversant with the Ghana National Decentralisation Policy Framework and Action Plan, which seeks to accelerate decentralisation in Ghana.

He noted that the framework promoted local democracy, participation and accountability through strong and more viable stakeholder involvement in local governance.

"Very significant is the decentralisation policy enshrined in the Constitution of Ghana, and one of the critical mechanisms that can effectively be used to improve the performance of officials who deliver public services is social accountability," Mr Aboagye pointed out.

According to him, CSOs in Ghana had become significant channels for the effective use of social accountability tools. He further explained that the CSOs were expected to be additional interface between the local community and the district assembly.