By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog, GNA
Bolgatanga, March 5, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has empowered residents of the Bolgatanga Municipality to lawfully demand accountability from duty-bearers and to promote good governance.
The Social Auditing engagement formed part of civic activities under the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) Programme aimed at promoting transparency and strengthening participatory governance at the local level.
The programme, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is co-financed by the European Union and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
Mr Omar Jafaru Alsadig, the Bolgatanga Municipal Director of the NCCE, said the engagement was in line with the Commission’s constitutional mandate under the 1992 Constitution to provide civic education and create an enabling environment for citizens to exercise their civic rights and responsibilities for national development.
He explained that social auditing was one of the flagship programmes of the Commission aimed at promoting transparency and accountability within the public sector.
Mr Alsadig said the objective of the engagement was to promote community ownership of development projects and policies, enhance citizens’ understanding of local government operations, and empower communities to lawfully assess and monitor the performance of public institutions.
“To achieve this goal in the Bolgatanga Municipality, the NCCE carefully selected four Electoral Areas, namely Bukere, Daporitindongo, Soe Central and Zaare West, to form Social Auditing Committees to serve their communities and the Municipality as a whole,” he said.
The Municipal Director of the NCCE added that participants, having been oriented on petitioning, lobbying, public speaking, fundraising and community mobilization, were better positioned to support the development of their communities by demanding accountability and insisting on good governance.
Mr Jalaldeen Abdulai, the Upper East Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), making a presentation on public accountability mechanisms, urged the residents to make use of lawful channels to seek justice and ensure accountability.
He emphasised that public office holders were duty-bound to act in the interest of the people and that citizens must not hesitate to petition appropriate institutions when they observed wrongdoing or maladministration.
Mr Roland Atanga Ayoo, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), described social auditing as a powerful democratic tool that enabled citizens to examine, question and assess how public resources were managed and how development projects were implemented.
He stressed that development was most effective when citizens were not merely beneficiaries but active participants in governance processes.
“Development is not measured only by the number of projects executed. It is measured by impact, sustainability and the satisfaction of the people we serve,” he said.
The MCE noted that the Assembly had undertaken several initiatives in education, healthcare, sanitation, water provision, roads and local economic development, funded through the District Assemblies Common Fund, Internally Generated Funds and other government and donor interventions.
He assured residents of the Assembly’s commitment to transparency and accountability, stating that monitoring systems were being strengthened and procurement processes were strictly adhered to in accordance with the law.
Mr Ayoo encouraged participants to engage actively and respectfully, emphasizing that development was a shared responsibility.
“Government alone cannot do it; citizens alone cannot do it; but together, we can build a stronger and more prosperous Bolgatanga,” he stated.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah
