Ashanti APRM Committee Formed

The National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council (NAPRM-GC) has inaugurated six District Oversight Committees in the Ashanti Region.

The committee members were selected from Asante-Akim South, Ejisu-Juaben, Atwima Nwabiagya, Bosomtwi, Agona districts and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

They are charged with the task of mobilising actively to participate in the monitoring and evaluation of the national ARRM programme of Acting there lay to promote good governance at the local government level.

They would also be expected to provide a collective voice on governance issues within the district and to promote dissemination of information, ideas and experiences of the APRM process within and between districts.

At the inaugural ceremony, Rev Prof Simon Kingsley Agyapong, chairman of the NAPRM-GC, noted that Africa was endowed with lots of natural resources but the continent had dwindled in terms of development and plagued by poverty, illness, illiteracy, hunger, saying for instance that "more than 200 million Africans are faced with famine and malnutrition."

For Africa to be liberated from such a situation, he stressed the need for all to embrace the APRM which ensures that governments of participating countries open their doors to both local and international scrutiny towards good governance.

He urged committee members to ensure that credible reports were submitted in order to promote development in the country.

Dr Francis Appiah, Executive Secretary of NAPRM-GC, also ur-ged the committee members to eschew partisan politics because politics would mar their credibility and the image of the council.

He called on the public to disabuse their minds of the misconception that APRM was imposed conditionally by the western powers and that it was a mere window dressing to attract donor funds.

He explained that the governing council mo-nitor's governments, evaluates corporate go-vernance as well as so-cio economic developments, democratic systems. He urged committee members to be actively involved in the monitoring and evaluating process.