The National Commission for Civic Education in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District with support from the European Union(EU), has organised a public education forum on Anti-corruption, Rule of Law and Accountability Programme (ARAP).
The forum was aimed at promoting community ownership of developmental projects and policies, increase awareness of the operations of the local government and empowering citizens to demand accountability from duty bearers.
Addressing residents of Guruyiri, a farming community in the Sawla-Tuna- Kalba District on Friday, 28th August, 2020, the Savannah Regional Director of NCCE Issaku Zitor said, Social Audit empowers the citizens in making sure that their needs are met.
Having known our needs,he urged the residents to pursue their needs until they are fulfilled.
Mr Zitor, Said resources are scarce but with a lot of challenges in our communities. There are over 287 communities in the district and all these communities have their own needs.
“You the residents should sharpen your lobbying skills to be able tohave access to these resources” Mr. Zitor noted.
He urged communities to form social committees to identify the needs of theirs communities and use appropriate channels to lobby for projects for their communities.
A ten member committee was formed as the Social Audit committee made up of eight community members the chief and the assembly member of the area as lead members to handle developmental projects in the community.
Mr Isaahaku Losina, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Director of said the purpose of the forum was to create an awareness to community members about strategies of acquiring developmental policies.
He said projects given to communities by the state are often seen as government property which should not be the case.
“So we do this for communities to demand accountability from duty bearers and own project given to them by government”, he indicated.
The committee was urged to facilitate all developmental challenges in the community .
Source: yagbonradioonline
