Gov't Functionaries to account for stewardship - JAK

Bolgatanga (U/E), Oct. 26, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday asked Government functionaries to engage themselves with the challenge of accounting for their stewardship since 2001.

Addressing the Quarterly Meeting of Regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives at Bolgatanga, President Kufuor said: "You should work out modalities to give a thorough account that will convince Ghanaians to give the Government the mandate to continue with the governance of the country."

The theme for the five-day conference is: "Peace and Stability, Necessary Tools For Development."

President Kufuor asked the functionaries to be mindful of the ways and means to win Election 2004.

He urged them to deliberate on the process of decentralisation because there could not be better democracy without decentralisation where there would be devolution of power from the Central Government to all localities in the country to give meaning to the slogan, "Government for the people and by the people".

President Kufuor asked the Regional Managers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to let the people feel and know that the Government had ushered the country into an era where the people were stakeholders in governance and could demand accountability from those ruling the country.

He advised them to be transparent in their positions of governance and give attention to the role of chiefs in their localities because chiefs were still relevant to the country.

"You should be engaged in reasoning and fashioning out the formal institutions of Government and Governance that would involve chiefs so that they realise the maximum benefit from such relationships," the President said.

He said the Government had taken a lot of measures to reduce corruption that was so pervasive and deep in the Ghanaian society. "This era is one Ghanaians are seeing the combat of corruption more than any other Government since independence," he stressed. Earlier in a welcoming address, the Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu, said the Region had a lot of tourism potential, particularly, the art and craft industry.

He said the conference would afford the Region an opportunity to market its potentials in industry and tourism sectors. Naba Martin Adongo Abilba III, Paramount Chief of Bolgatanga, noted that the Government had given chiefs the chance to participate in the governance of the country and that had helped to bring peace to the communities.