ENHANCING LOCAL GOVERNANCE, IBIS SHOWS THE WAY
ENHANCING LOCAL GOVERNANCE, IBIS SHOWS THE WAY Aug. 19, 2010
BY P. A. WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
A two day stakeholders’ workshop on strengthening local governance has ended at Bolgatanga in the Upper East region with a call on beneficiaries of Ibis West Africa interventions, comprising mainly the district assemblies to promptly submit their annual action plans, budgets and other reports so as to allow for the donors to track the progress of assisted projects in the sub-districts.
Ibis West Africa , a non-governmental organisation organised the workshop under its Public Participation in Local Governance [PPLG] programme. The Danish International Development Agency, DANIDA is the main financier of Ibis West Africa interventions. The PPLG creates a platform for direct engagements with policy makers and public office holders.
The PPLG Programmes Director, Mr. Abdallah Abubakari who made the call disclosed that PPLG is to enhance citizens’ participation in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies that affect local governance. The programme further seeks to build the capacity of civil society organisations to enable them mobilise their constituencies to demand accountability from government. It is also the aim of PPLG to organise women and get them actively involved in decision making at the local level.
Mr. Abdalla called on stakeholders to do everything within their influence to increase the numbers of women in the assemblies. He particularly appealed to district chief executives to reserve a considerable quota for women’s appointments to the composition of district assemblies.
According to Mr. Abdalla, his outfit is ready to support women in running for public office but urged these aspiring women to deliver results in order to inspire many more other women.
The PPLG Programmes Director disclosed that the programme which is in its second phase will run for five years that is from 2008 to 2013. It has coverage in three regions, 13 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, regional coordinating councils and working with 25 civil society organisations. He said the PPLG has made remarkable progress since it started because in all sub-programme areas, there is evidence of partners making progress at both state and non-state levels.
Mr. Abdalla however admitted that the PPLG faced major challenges in its work. Some of these include a scaled up programme without corresponding increase in staff numbers, weak focus on results based process and lack of commitment on the part of district assemblies. He therefore called on Ibis partners to renew their commitment to the cause of local governance initiatives and PPLG interventions.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo whose address was delivered by his Deputy, Mrs. Lucy Awuni, commended Ibis West Africa for introducing the PPLG programme noting that it has become an eye opener for many in the Upper East region. He noted that the PPLG has inculcated in the citizenry the urge to demand accountability and transparency of public officers and this deepens the tenets of democracy.
Mr. Woyongo entreated all district assemblies to put their sub-structures in the best form in order to facilitate the work of the public participation in local governance [PPLG] programme. He said the workshop comes at a time the country is preparing to hold district level elections and thus charged all municipal and district chief executives to take personal interest in the upcoming elections by encouraging and providing special support to women and other vulnerable people such as people with disabilities to contest.
The regional minister also appealed to civil society organisations in the region to embark on serious public campaigns to sensitise the public to know that their rights and liberties always go with responsibilities. He for instance cited press freedom saying this does not guarantee the media to defame people and publish unfunded allegations mostly about public figures. According to him, the media and social commentators must cross check all pieces of information before going public.
All the nine districts in the Upper East region made presentations on how their respective districts have performed with regard to the PPLG intervention by Ibis. While some of the districts made impressive presentations, others had some explaining to do.
Meanwhile another Ibis intervention programme known as Wing School was marketed to the participants. The officer in charge of the Wing School project, Mr. Kavaarpuo Eric said under this project, children are taught in the mother tongue from primary one to three.
District chief executives and their district coordinating directors, civil society organisations, PPLG district focal persons, staff from the national service scheme among many others attended the workshop.
BY P. A. WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
A two day stakeholders’ workshop on strengthening local governance has ended at Bolgatanga in the Upper East region with a call on beneficiaries of Ibis West Africa interventions, comprising mainly the district assemblies to promptly submit their annual action plans, budgets and other reports so as to allow for the donors to track the progress of assisted projects in the sub-districts.
Ibis West Africa , a non-governmental organisation organised the workshop under its Public Participation in Local Governance [PPLG] programme. The Danish International Development Agency, DANIDA is the main financier of Ibis West Africa interventions. The PPLG creates a platform for direct engagements with policy makers and public office holders.
The PPLG Programmes Director, Mr. Abdallah Abubakari who made the call disclosed that PPLG is to enhance citizens’ participation in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies that affect local governance. The programme further seeks to build the capacity of civil society organisations to enable them mobilise their constituencies to demand accountability from government. It is also the aim of PPLG to organise women and get them actively involved in decision making at the local level.
Mr. Abdalla called on stakeholders to do everything within their influence to increase the numbers of women in the assemblies. He particularly appealed to district chief executives to reserve a considerable quota for women’s appointments to the composition of district assemblies.
According to Mr. Abdalla, his outfit is ready to support women in running for public office but urged these aspiring women to deliver results in order to inspire many more other women.
The PPLG Programmes Director disclosed that the programme which is in its second phase will run for five years that is from 2008 to 2013. It has coverage in three regions, 13 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, regional coordinating councils and working with 25 civil society organisations. He said the PPLG has made remarkable progress since it started because in all sub-programme areas, there is evidence of partners making progress at both state and non-state levels.
Mr. Abdalla however admitted that the PPLG faced major challenges in its work. Some of these include a scaled up programme without corresponding increase in staff numbers, weak focus on results based process and lack of commitment on the part of district assemblies. He therefore called on Ibis partners to renew their commitment to the cause of local governance initiatives and PPLG interventions.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo whose address was delivered by his Deputy, Mrs. Lucy Awuni, commended Ibis West Africa for introducing the PPLG programme noting that it has become an eye opener for many in the Upper East region. He noted that the PPLG has inculcated in the citizenry the urge to demand accountability and transparency of public officers and this deepens the tenets of democracy.
Mr. Woyongo entreated all district assemblies to put their sub-structures in the best form in order to facilitate the work of the public participation in local governance [PPLG] programme. He said the workshop comes at a time the country is preparing to hold district level elections and thus charged all municipal and district chief executives to take personal interest in the upcoming elections by encouraging and providing special support to women and other vulnerable people such as people with disabilities to contest.
The regional minister also appealed to civil society organisations in the region to embark on serious public campaigns to sensitise the public to know that their rights and liberties always go with responsibilities. He for instance cited press freedom saying this does not guarantee the media to defame people and publish unfunded allegations mostly about public figures. According to him, the media and social commentators must cross check all pieces of information before going public.
All the nine districts in the Upper East region made presentations on how their respective districts have performed with regard to the PPLG intervention by Ibis. While some of the districts made impressive presentations, others had some explaining to do.
Meanwhile another Ibis intervention programme known as Wing School was marketed to the participants. The officer in charge of the Wing School project, Mr. Kavaarpuo Eric said under this project, children are taught in the mother tongue from primary one to three.
District chief executives and their district coordinating directors, civil society organisations, PPLG district focal persons, staff from the national service scheme among many others attended the workshop.
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