Accra, Aug. 18, GNA - The First Monthly Governance Youth Forum Report has identified lack of education of communities on the workings of the Municipal Authority as a setback in the development of the area. The maiden edition of the Ibis- sponsored bi-monthly Governance Youth Forum held at Ashaiman in Accra is a platform for public office holders to meet and dialogue with their constituents on issues that would move their community forward.

"The weak capacity of civil society to effectively engage public office holders and the absence of a sustainable platform where they and those they represent can dialogue and work towards solutions to the myriad of challenges they face to which the former are put in office leaves much to be desired", the report said.

Presenting the report in Accra on Tuesday Mr. Yaw Dua, Programmes Manager of Nimba Community Support Services (NIMCOSS), a non-governmental organisation which works with the urban poor to help them build capacity, said assembly members were not able to interact with the electorate before and after meetings with the municipal assembly thereby starving residents of information related to the activities of the municipal assembly or the local councils. This ultimately cuts off a large section of the populace, including traditional authority, women and the youth out of the governing process. Mr Dua said for real participatory democracy, good governance and effective decentralization to thrive in Ghana, this phenomenon had to change for the better.

This, he said, would make duty-bearers, especially public office holders and statutory service providers, accountable to the people they represent at all times while civil society also engages effectively and constructively with their representatives. He said it was within the above context that Ibis Ghana provided support to NIMSOCC to organize, within regular intervals of two months, to hold a Youth Governance Forum in Ashaiman and Tema Manhean to strengthen the involvement of the electorate in the two communities in shaping policies, influencing local priorities and resource allocation to enhance community development.

It is also to facilitate the inclusion of all sections of the locality including the traditional leadership, women's groups and the youth in local government development programme formulation, planning, implementation and evaluation as well as strengthen the capacity of residents to work directly with their political representatives at the local government level.

Mr. Duah said Ibis-Ghana and NIMCOSS would like to see the communities assembling resources to undertake participatory governance projects and to encourage members of the communities to come out with innovative strategies to fund the programmes, adding that reliance on external bodies to facilitate development must be reduced to the barest minimum.

NIMCOSS, he said, would liaise with the Municipal Assembly on the developmental plans that have been earmarked for implementation in the community within the year so that residents could fully appreciate the interventions and activities of the assembly and also offer support when needed.

Mr. Duah said Ibis-Ghana and NIMCOSS would like to see the community itself assembling resources to undertake participatory governance projects, judging from interest expressed by many residents to have the forum held in the community.