Sekondi, Nov 25, GNA – Friends of the Nation (FoN) and its partners have unveiled six Accountability billboards in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to signify the commitment by stakeholders to deepen transparency and accountable governance in the utilisation of public resources.
The mounting of the six accountability billboards at vantage points within the three Sub-Metropolitan councils of the Metropolis, at Nkontompo, Kojokrom, Kokompe, New Takoradi and Jubilee Park, is part of Friends of the Nation (FON) collaboration with the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) with supports from Oxfam.
In all, 20 projects, which have been completed or ongoing were listed on the billboards and include the ongoing GH¢27,361,681.00 reconstruction of the Fijai bypass dual carriageway on the Accra road at Fijai funded with the Road Fund and the construction of a fish smoking facility with external works at Sekondi beach in European Town funded with the District Development facility and completed at the cost of GH¢398,933.00
Others are the completed 12-unit classroom block at Fjai Senior High School at the cost of GH¢1,378,404.00 and the ongoing construction of a single storey dormitory block at Adiembra SHS also costing GH¢1,378,404.00
The Natural Resources Coordinator of FoN, Mr Solomon Ampofo, explained that the activity formed part of the implementation of the second commitment of civic participation and fiscal transparency under STMA’s Open Government Partnership Action Plan (2018-2020).
The billboards also contained useful information on selected projects including photos, location, contract sum, sources of funding, status of implementation and digital address in the three sub-metropolitan councils of the metropolis.
“They are expected to generate public discussion on the efficient use of public resource and provide the platform for accountable governance. Indeed, transparency is key to financial governance and allow the citizenry to track and ask questions as to how taxes and fees collected and revenues generated are spent,” Mr Ampofo said.
The Development Planning Officer of STMA, Mr Isaac Adjei Acheampong, explained to journalists that under the Open Government programme, representatives of the communities examined the budget statement and plans of the assembly and, later through feedback polls receive answers on critical issues.
“With the open governance system, you have to open- up on projects that you are doing, because the people have the right to ask questions and these are the efforts that we have made with the accountability billboards we have mounted within the three sub- metros in collaboration with all stakeholders. Feedbacks also improve our governance as we take on concerns of the people,” he stated.
Mr Acheampong indicated that as part of the evaluation of projects, the assembly worked with assembly members, unit committees, and also user -agencies to find out whether the projects were serving the desired purposes.
GNA