By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, Feb. 9, GNA – Government funded projects in Nzema East and Sekondi-Takoradi assemblies monitored by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, (GACC) have revealed re-occurring lack of proper needs assessment, consultation and the involvement of beneficiaries from project start to finish.
The GACC also noted that the creation of parallel Government institutions aside the technocrats within the assemblies, award of contract from the nation’s capital without the involvement of the specific district authorities for which the contract was to be executed coupled with limited project information, continued to hamper quality infrastructure delivery to ensure the citizenry benefitted
The monitoring covered projects in the two districts which included Kojokrom markets and community Centre, BU community centre, Sofokrom Hasaacas Park, Kwesimintsim U- drainage, schools, and 80 market in Ellembelle:40 open and 40 lockable stalls believed to have been funded with Oil monies.
The staking realities within the assemblies were revealed at an advocacy and dissemination engagement with Civil societies, opinion and community leaders, Assembly and unit committee members on these supposed ABFA funded projects.
The project theme: “From Disclosure to Impact: Mobilising Local Civil Society to verify Published Extractives Data and Advocate for equitable and accountable spend of Funds” has raised the consciousness of communities on these new normal phenomena and the need to galvanise actions to change the new order for real development that meets the specific needs of communities.
Nana Egya Kwamina XI, the Chief of Apremdo, said projects implementors must endeavour to engage community leaders and citizens for real needs assessment and even placement of such projects.
He said projects were carried out from the coffers of state and not any political party, and so politicians must begin to reason with their constituents to gain their trust in developmental issues.
Madam Mary Mensah lamented; “Our contractors must also respect indigenous knowledge…when they come and we advise them , they should make it a point to listen to us, now the drain in front of my house has become my greatest nightmare…anytime it rains, I have swim out of my house “.
She continued: “Our educated elites are really disturbing and distracting our society and called for urgent actions to stop the trend in public infrastructure delivery.”
Mr. Napoleon Oduro, Assembly member of Kojokrom, was not happy that he, as a representative of the people at the Assembly, was eliminated from consultation and engagement based on party colours.
He mentioned that another key area for concern was how party colours were tearing development apart in communities.
Mr. Aziz Mahmoud, a monitoring and evaluation officer at Sekondi-Takoradi Infrastructural Transparency Initiative, (CoST) who aligned with findings said, the work of CoST in almost all the districts within the Region presented similar challenges.
Issues of community engagement, citizens monitoring and mandatory projects of disclosure as well as involvement of assemblies on central government projects should be high on reforms in the sector to drive change.
Mr. Samuel Harrison-Cudjoe, a Programme officer of the GACC, who facilitated the session bemoaning how partisan driven approach coupled with parallel authorities aside recognised state institutions was adversely impacting on infrastructure delivery in the country.
As Government intends financing the “big push” with oil monies, citizens have been urged to not only be spectators but active participants in the development affairs of state.
The GACC project sponsored by Africa Centre for Energy Policy, (ACEP) runs in four Regions; Western, Northern, Ashanti and Volta, involving five districts and 35 projects under consideration.
Madam Beauty Emefa Narteh, the Executive Secretary to GACC, urged the participants to use the information to drive the needed reforms in their respective assemblies.
The outcome of the monitoring was presented by Stephen Ernest Buah, for STMA and while, that of Nzema East was done by Gifty Polley, members of the Local Accountability Network of GACC.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/Kenneth Odeng Adade