Techiman (B/A), Feb. 16, GNA - At least 116 out of 170 Districts Oversight Committees (DOCs) of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) governing council have been inaugurated.

The formation of the oversight committees, which is a voluntary association under the auspices of the APRM, will supervise the implementation of the national programme of action at the district level.

Mr. Kofi Gyan, administrator of APRM, said this at the close of a three-day workshop on local governance in Ghana for 120 stakeholders, assembly members, political and religious bodies, and traditional rulers drawn from Wenchi, Nkoranza and Techiman municipalities. Themed "informal sector and local governance accountability", the workshop organised by Ghana Union of Traders (GUTA) and sponsored by Konrad Adanauer Stiftung, (KAS) a German political foundation was to provide a platform for civil actors in the three municipalities to sharpen their advocacy skills. Mr. Gyan said the main objective of the formation of the DOCs was to educate and sensitize community members to understand and own the APRM.

Similarly, DOCs would also help promote and facilitate the sharing and dissemination of information as well as experience of the APRM process amongst districts and co-operate with their social networks and organisations. Mr. Gyan said a Northern Development Fund was being packaged to breach the gab between Northern and Southern sectors as an intervention programme set up by the APRM secretariat. Mr. Isaac Owusu-Mensah, Senior programme's manager of KAS said due to the many challenges facing a young democracy like Ghana, KAS activities were aimed at supporting economic and socio-political reforms.