Accra – Friday August 10, 2018: The Head of the Local Government Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur delivered an address as Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony of a local governance forum themed: “Local Governance in Ghana – Medium of Development”. The forum forms part of an ongoing project on Participation in Local Governance for Rapid Development launched in February, 2017 by the National Catholic Secretariat.
Dr. Arthur noted that decentralised local governance was a potential tool capable of delivering the national development aspiration. He said good governance systems were strengthened through local governance which required citizens to demand accountability from duty bearers in addition to the enforcement of policies. He called on members of the Catholic Church to partner the Local Government Service to improve the condition of people in local communities.
A critical part of the forum was a plenary session which gave participants the opportunity to seek clarification on issues of concern. Issues raised bordered on the effective participation of Chief Executives in town hall meetings; the nonpartisan nature of the Assembly Members role; delay in the release of funds to Assemblies; unprofessional attitudes of some staff of Assemblies; and revenue leakages among others.
Some Guests Speakers at the event were the Deputy Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Mike Gyato; the Country Director of Konrad Adenauer Stifting; the Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative; and the Chairperson of National Commission for Civic Education.