Tamale, Sept. 16, GNA - Deductions from the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) are stalling development programmes of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, Local Government Expert, said at the first Town Hall Meeting held in Tamale on Wednesday. He said the deductions made by the Central Government were so many that not much was left for effective development by the assemblies and suggested that a second look be taken of the practice.

Mr Ahwoi, a Former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the Government was working hard to strengthen the Unit Committees, which have not been working effectively. The Meeting, which was on the theme: "Popular Participation in Governance" was attended by a large number of Government functionaries, traditional leaders and people from all walks of life. Mr Ahwoi said the Government was in the process of reviewing some aspects of the Public Procurement Law to give back the power of award of contracts to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. Mr Joseph Yileh Chere, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the concept of Town Hall Meetings was to ensure that the ordinary people were involved in governance to ensure accountability.

He said it was to empower the people to approach their Chief Executives or any other Government official to demand accountability of how funds were being used for the development of their localities. "You cannot limit democracy to Parliament alone, Chief Executives should attend Town Hall Meetings and make themselves accountable to the people, "Mr Chere said.

Mr Mahama Ayariga, Spokesperson of President John Evans Atta Mills, asked the assemblies to solicit the views of the people before embarking on development projects, saying that it was the wish of President Mills that all Ghanaians participated in the Town Hall Meetings irrespective of one's political affiliations. He said it was the responsibility of the people to ensure the development of their localities, adding; "the mandate to develop your town is yours and yours alone and you should not allow anybody to take it away from you".

Dr Christian Amoako-Nuamah, a Local Government Expert, urged the Private Sector to take a long-term view of development as opposed to short-term economic gains and asked tailors and seamstresses to take advantage of free school uniform programme and organise themselves to supply the uniforms on time.

She also advised cotton farmer s to expand their farms since there would be ready market for their produce. 16 Sept. 09