Western Region gets 14 Social Auditing Committees

The Western Regional Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in collaboration with the various MMDAs in the Region, have formed Social Auditing committees to monitor and execute development projects in the various districts to improve the living conditions of the people.

The committees' membership, which ranges between five and seven, comprise of traditional authorities, opinion leaders, Assembly Members, District Finance officers, planning officers, NCCE officials and information officers.

Mr Justice Yaw Ennin, the Western Regional Director of NCCE, made this known to the Ghana News Agency in Takoradi after a monitoring exercise embarked on by the Commission in the 14 MMDAs in the Region.

The NCCE Regional Director explained that the social Auditing programme formed part of the Anti-corruption Rule of law and Accountability programme being implemented by the Commission with funding from the European Union (EU).

Mr Ennin said Social Auditing programme was to help communities to demand accountability from duty bearers and to make Communities take ownership of development projects in their areas.

He said it was also to increase awareness of the operations of Local government and to help the citizenry to make inputs in decisions that affected their daily lives and the future.

The Regional Director said the programme also allowed people outside government operations to influence policy-making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

He said the mandate of the Commission was to among others campaign, advocate and lobby for increase accountability and reduction in corruption in the country.

Mr Ennin commended the various MMDCEs for their support and commitment to the activities of the Commission, noting that it would help the Commission to execute its mandate.

He said during the monitoring exercise some of the Communities visited, mentioned school blocks, toilets, markets, clinics, the extension of electricity and upgrading of roads as their priority needs of which the various Districts Assemblies pledged to address.