By Yussif Ibrahim
Juaben (Ash), March 09, GNA – Stakeholders in the Juaben Municipality have been sensitised on social auditing as a tool to promote transparency, accountability and citizen participation in local governance.
The engagement, organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), brought together heads of departments, Assembly Members, youth groups, identifiable socio-economic groups and other community stakeholders to discuss the role citizens can play in monitoring public projects and ensuring responsible use of public resources.
Mr Kodjo Adjormadoh, the Municipal Director of NCCE, explained that social auditing encouraged citizens to take interest in development projects within their communities and demand accountability from public officials through lawful means.
He said the approach equipped citizens with the knowledge and tools to track government projects and ensure that resources allocated for development were used appropriately.
Dr Stephen Lurimuah, the Municipal Coordinating Director, highlighted the importance of citizen involvement in governance, noting that active public participation helped strengthen transparency and improve service delivery at the local level.
Mr Adu Agyemang, Presiding Member of the Assembly and Assembly Member for Kubease, also urged residents to monitor ongoing development projects in their communities and contribute to local development initiatives.
Madam Akua Zachariah, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the NCCE, stressed the need for stronger collaboration between citizens and public officials to promote accountable governance.
Participants were also taken through procedures for accessing public information under the Right to Information framework by Prince Adjei-Mensah, the RTI Officer at the Juaben Municipal Assembly.
The programme was funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the European Union (EU), the Ministry of Finance and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Participants welcomed the initiative and pledged to support efforts to promote accountability and community-driven development in the municipality.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Audrey Dekalu