By Edward Williams, GNA
Hohoe (V/R), Feb 25, GNA – Mr Prosper Kumi, Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has underscored the need for accountability and auditing processes in ensuring democratic governance strived.
He said engaging communities and soliciting their opinions on development was the right thing to do.
Mr Kumi speaking during a social auditing engagement at Gbi Kpoeta organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), GIZ and European Union, disclosed that sanitation and Internally Generated Fund (IGF) were key issues at the heart of the Assembly.
He said communities must initiate sanitary measures to keep their surroundings neat and it must behove on all that they kept their environment always neat.
Mr Kumi said since sanitation was a key target, all measures by communities would fit into the plan of making the Hohoe Municipality the cleanest in the Volta region adding that there were Assembly byelaws that could also be enforced for non-compliance.
He said the Assembly generated its IGF basically from business operating permit and property rates hence all must come together to honour their obligations by paying rates due them and they could engage Assembly staff if they had concerns on the rates.
Mr Kumi said the Assembly had identified the rationing of water as a major challenge due to the expanding number of customers which had led to the drilling of high yielding boreholes to augment the quantity being stored for distribution.
He noted that construction work on the stretch of the Eastern Corridor Road was progressing while appealing to the residents to endure the inconveniences adding that 22 kilometres of town roads would see upgrade at various communities in the Municipality.
Mr Robert Oral, Volta Regional Deputy Director, NCCE, noted that social auditing moved beyond political discussions to issues that affected citizenry and the appropriate authorities providing the necessary responses.
He commended the MCE and traditional authorities on collaborating for a successful event.
Mr Ernest Amedior, Hohoe Municipal Director for the National Commission for Civic Education, noted that democracy entailed accountability and respect for rules and orders as well as rights and responsibilities.
He said it was important that citizens played their part in ensuring good governance while they waited for duty bearers to respond to the needs.
Mr Amedior said the social audit agenda was to interact with citizens in their various communities to deliberate on concerns and ways the concerns would be effectively addressed by the stakeholders.
Togbe Adom Dake X, Divisional Chief of Gbi-Kpoeta, expressed delight at the programme adding that community authorities were committed to addressing the challenges to ensure development and growth.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/George-Ramsey Benamba