The IBIS Foundation has launched the ?Ghana?s Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms (GSAM) project to enhance the capacities of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and district assemblies for effective service delivery in the Upper East Region.
The project seeks to strengthen citizens? oversight of capital development projects to improve local governance, transparency, accountability and performance.
Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, the Upper West Regional Minister, said the project would offer a unique opportunity for re-assessing citizens? involvement in the transparency and accountability processes at the district level.
He said majority of citizens perceived initiation of capital projects as a conduit for technocrats and politicians to enrich themselves, adding ?this negative perception was based on inadequate sharing of information?.
Alhaji Sulemana said an effective strategy to dispel the negative perception held by citizens regarding government business was to ensure citizens? participation in the design, implementation and monitoring of service delivery, more especially capital projects.
?This would motivate them to contribute to the deepening of decentralization and participatory development,? he added.
Alhaji Sulemana said it was heartwarming to note that citizens? monitoring of capital projects was at the core of the GSAM Project in Ghana.
He stated that capital development projects were undertaken with the taxpayers? money and therefore needed to be handled judiciously.
Alhaji Sulemana expressed optimism that the new project would help enhance the capacities of Local Government actors, CSOs and citizens to demand transparency and accountability from district assemblies and local contractors for efficient service delivery.
Mr. Tijani Ahmed Hamza, IBIS Country Director, said the project was the first of a series of launches planned across the regions and expressed gratitude to the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) for its instrumental role in making the launch a reality.
He noted that the project was in tandem with pillar four of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda, which outlined support for citizens? monitoring and evaluation of public policies and programmes.
Mr. Hamza said the GSAM project was being implemented in 100 districts across the 10 regions of Ghana, out of which six of them including Lawra, Wa East, Wa West, Sissala East, Sissala West, and Nadowli -Kaleo Districts were from the Upper West Region.
Mr. Clement Tandoh, Chief of Party for the GSAM Project, noted that the project unlike others in the past had both the supply side and the demand side, with the district assemblies and CSOs delivering the supply side, while local communities took charge of the demand side.
He noted that in the past the role of RCCs on many social projects had been silent with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) taking the lead role, but ?this project would ensure the RCCs would be deeply involved right from the beginning for a better delivery of the project goal.?
Source : GNA/newsghana1.tempurl.host
