Get Involved In Local Governance

The Director of Governance, Justice and Peace at the National Catholic Secretariat, Reverend Father. Clement Kwesi Adjei has advised Ghanaians to actively participate in the local governance system to promote development at the local level.

'If the people want development, it is the local government system that can help achieve that, ', he indicated.

He said because the central government could not identify the needs of all the communities, there was the need for the people to participate and identify the problems within their communities so that together with the assembly they can resolve them using the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) of the Assembly, Common Fund and other aids.

Rev. Fr. Adjei said this at a town hall meeting organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua in collaboration with Konard Adenauer Foundation of Germany and the New Juaben Municipal Assembly at Effiduase.

The meeting forms part of a pilot project being implemented in four selected regions across the country namely Eastern, Ashanti, Western and the Central Regions.

It was to sensitise the public on the local governance system for them to make inputs into the development of their communities.

Participants were taken through the Medium Term Development Plan of the Assembly, fee fixing resolution, One District One Factory policy, Planting for Food and Jobs and security of the citizenry.

Rev. Fr. noted that the response from the communities has been encouraging, however, it has also proven that majority of the people do not understand the local governance concept as well as the roles they are supposed to play.

The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Ms Comfort Asante indicated that it was the responsibility of the Assembly to engage and sensitise communities to understand their activities; however, it does not happen as expected.

She called on the participants to actively take part in the governments flagship projects, 'Planting for Food and Jobs' to enable them benefit from the programme to ensure food security within the municipality.

Ms Asante advised the communities to register and take delivery of the dust bins provided by Zoomlion to promote proper disposal of refuse within the communities to avoid sicknesses and diseases.

The Chief of Effiduase and Nifahene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Okoawia Dwomo Baabu II said 'local governance places a big responsibility on the citizens of the district and if measures are not put in place to make sure the people understand how the system works, then it becomes a real big challenge' .

He urged the Catholic Church to continue to educate the people for majority of them to understand the local government concept and contribute to the development of their communities.