Stakeholders at a day’s forum on Social Auditing have unanimously rated education as the major developmental tool to shape the future of the Ledzokuku Municipality.

The stakeholders, including; Assembly members, heads of department, women and youth groups, NGOs, residence and other opinion leaders, therefore called on government to heavily invest in all levels of education to bring about sustainable social transformation and economic development.

Speaking in turns, after a focus group discussion at the stakeholder engagement organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) under its Accountability, Rule of law and Anti-corruption Programme (ARAP) on Monday, the stakeholders collectively affirmed the importance of education as fundamental in lifting the people out of poverty.

The engagement, supported by the European Union (EU), was the NCCE’s effort to afford the stakeholders an opportunity to participate effectively in governance and to ensure accountability of local government authorities.

For the stakeholders, in order that residents reaped the benefits of sustainable development, the Municipal Assembly ought to, as a matter of urgency, make education a priority on its development agenda to improve the lives of the people.

Mr Alex Binadeo Daunor, a local official of the Ghana Education Service, who led one of such group discussions, said as much as quality of education could not be compromised, improving the infrastructural deficits in schools in the Municipality was also very essential.

He identified infrastructural inadequacies, insecurity and encroachment on school lands, tardiness on the part of teachers and pupils, insufficient training on pedagogy, ineffective monitoring and supervision, as some challenges effecting quality education and eroding the gains in the educational sector in Ghana.

Mrs Evelyn Naa Adjeley Twum-Gyamrah, Municipal Chief Executive, Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly (LEKMA), applauded the initiative by the NCCE and EU since it would ensure that assemblies were more accountable and transparent to residents and further disabuse misconceptions and possible accusations of corruption.

“The programme is beneficial and will promote transparency by reducing and possibly eliminating the levels of suspicions of corruption by tax payers and duty bearers, ” she said and cautioned that demanding accountability from government officials ought to be done in a manner that would not create unnecessary tension between both parties.

She said the Assembly’s commitment to the provision of quality education and improving the educational sector was unwavering as it had put in place some pragmatic measures and resources to remedy the infrastructural deficit and boost quality at all levels.

Mr Nicholas Tetteh Atiogbe, Municipal Director for the NCCE, said good governance, through participation, was the best process for taking and implementing decisions for the ultimate benefit of the citizenry.

Therefore, he said, the social Auditing Programme was aimed at promoting community ownership of developmental projects and policies by increased awareness of the operations of the local government and further empowering the community.

In this regard, a Social Audit Committee, comprising representatives of the various stakeholders, was inaugurated to lead engagements to demand accountability from duty bearers in the Municipality.