By Rosemary Wayo
Tamale, Sept 08 GNA – Coalition for Democratic Accountability and Inclusive Governance (CITIZENS’ COALITION) has been launched in Tamale to keep government on its toes in terms of fighting corruption in the country.
It is also to ensure that government acts constitutionally and in the interest of the citizenry.
A few civil society organisations and governance institutions have come together to form the CITIZENS’ COALITION, and include Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), Norsaac, RISE Ghana, Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Centre for Active Learning and Integrated Development (CALID).
Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman, Executive Director of GDCA, speaking at the launch, said the CITIZENS’ COALITION would work to reverse the loss of democracy and to ensure inclusive growth, adding it was opened to individuals and non-state groups.
He said the CITIZENS’ COALITION also sought to establish a culture of accountability and transparency in governance that enabled active response to the demands of citizens and promote human rights, constitutionalism and national interest.
He said it was a neutral body that sought to regulate the abuse of power by the two major political parties in the country adding members could not support, endorse, or be surrogates of any political party or political party candidates.
Mr Mohammed Awal Alhassan, Executive Director of Norsaac said the CITIZENS’ COALITION would bring together people across all ages purposely to extend grievances of the citizenry to government to implement policies for the benefit of the electorate.
He stated that there had been many concerns against corrupt acts of the current and past governments, which needed a collective action to curb.
Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director of Policy Engagement and Advocacy at CDD-Ghana said it was appalling how public services were mal-handled in the country with public officers abusing power and public resources.
He said the country must be positioned such that she would be resilient to economic shocks.
GNA