By Maxwell Awumah
Kadjebi (O/R), Feb 13, GNA – The Kadjebi District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), with local groups and the Kadjebi District Assembly, has organised a Social Auditing platform to promote transparency, accountability, and active citizen participation in governance.
Held at the Kadjebi District Assembly Hall, the programme brought together Assembly Members, Unit Committee Members, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), clergy, chiefs, queen mothers, youth groups, students, artisans, NGO representatives, and other duty bearers.
The engagement was part of NCCE’s “Civic Engagement on the Rule of Law and the Fight against Corruption” project under the Participation, Accountability, and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-funded by the European Union (EU) and Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and implemented by GIZ in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Finance.
Mr Daniel Agbesi Latsu, Kadjebi District Director of NCCE, explained that Social Auditing was a flagship intervention to strengthen community participation in governance and development planning. The platform allowed citizens to interact with duty bearers, assess ongoing projects, and demand transparency in public resource use.
“Social Auditing promotes self-help initiatives, encourages citizens to identify development challenges, prioritise them, and collectively develop action plans,” Mr Latsu said, urging participants to engage actively in governance processes.
Dr Sam Issaka Suraj, Kadjebi District Chief Executive (DCE), through Mr Innocent Komla Gavua, District Coordinating Director, commended NCCE for the initiative, describing the platform as timely and reinforcing the Assembly’s commitment to openness and responsiveness.
He assured that the Assembly remained committed to addressing community priority needs within available resources.
Ms Lawrencia Agyemang, Acting Kadjebi District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), educated participants on public accountability, citizens’ rights, complaint procedures, and the responsibilities of public office holders
. She emphasised that accountability builds trust and that public office is a formal trust bound by legal and ethical standards. She encouraged lawful use of complaint and redress mechanisms, including CHRAJ, to address grievances.
During group discussions, participants from the Dubonku and Freetown Electoral Areas identified key challenges, including poor drainage, dilapidated footbridges, and sanitation issues.
Action plans were developed to address these through community mobilisation, engagement with the District Assembly, and collaboration with stakeholders. Participants pledged communal labour to desilt drains and improve sanitation while appealing for technical and logistical support for footbridge rehabilitation.
The programme concluded with a call for citizens to sustain civic engagement and dialogue to strengthen local governance and deepen democratic culture in Kadjebi District.
GNA
Edited by Audrey Dekalu