Mohammed Awal Swallah, the Team Leader of the I Am Aware (IAA) Project of the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana), has appealed to the citizenry to make it their utmost concern to monitor and demand from government appointees in the implementation of socio-economic development projects and services in their communities.
That, he explained, would help ensure transparency, probity, accountability and promote good governance in the delivery of social services at all levels.
Mr Swallah, who made the appeal, was speaking at a day’s public forum in Kumasi to share and discuss the CDD-Ghana IAA project evaluation, a social accountability project being implemented by the Centre with funding from the Hewlett Foundation.
The project sought to empower the citizenry and duty bearers by providing free, up to date, user-friendly and accessible information on state of public goods and services, to strengthen the demand and supply side of accountability.
The forum, which was on the theme: ‘Information, citizen engagement and government accountability for improved service delivery in Ghana’ was aimed among other issues, at strengthening public discourse on accountability, probity, transparency, government responses and provide quality service delivery.
Mr Swallah noted that empowering ordinary citizens and strengthening their capacities to demand transparency, probity and accountability from duty bearers was important to promote good governance.
“The IAA project is designed to strengthen accountability, probity, transparency mechanisms, foster bottom-up accountability and citizen-led accountability while improving awareness and access to quality public services and better social services,” he noted and stressed on the need for duty bearers and service providers to be well- resourced by the government to enable them respond appropriately to the needs of the citizenry.
Source–GNA