Tamale,
Nov. 18,
Ghanadot/GNA
- Dr
Francis
Appiah,
Executive
Secretary
of the
National
African
Peer
Review
Mechanism
Governing
Council
(NAPRM-GC)
has
stated
that the
organisation
would
give
full
meaning
to
democracy
in terms
of
content
and make
it
functional.
The
organisation,
he said
was
adopting
a
grassroots
approach
through
the
establishment
of
district
oversight
committees
at the
district
assemblies
to
ensure
good
governance
and the
management
of the
economy.
Dr
Appiah
was
speaking
at the
inauguration
of
district
oversight
committees
for the
Tamale
Metropolis,
Tolon/Kumbungu
and
Savelugu/Naton
District
Assemblies
in
Tamale
on
Monday.
The
committees
are made
up of
representatives
of
district
assembly,
NGOs,
People
Living
with
Disabilities
(PLWDs),
chiefs,
Department
of
Social
Welfare
and the
Ghana
Education
Service
(GES).
Dr
Appiah
said the
committees
would
among
other
functions,
sensitise
the
people
at the
local
level on
the
mechanism,
and
monitor
and
evaluate
projects
undertaken
by the
districts
assemblies
in the
areas of
health,
sanitation,
education
and
micro-finance.
He said
the
committees
would
also
ascertain
the
extent
to which
rule of
law and
gender
mainstreaming
were
working
in the
communities.
The
Reverend
(Professor)
Samuel
Adjepong,
Chairman
of NAPRM-GC
said the
monitoring
and
evaluation
at the
districts
was to
address
the
shortages,
as well
as the
weaknesses
identified
in the
country’s
self
assessment
reports.
He said
so far,
88 of
such
oversight
committees
had been
inaugurated
throughout
the
country.
He
appealed
to
district
assemblies
to
support
the
committees
with as
least GH¢500.00
annually
to
enable
them to
carry
out
their
activities.
Alhaji
Mohammed
Baba,
Tamale
Metropolitan
Coordinating
Director,
said the
inauguration
of the
committees
would
put the
assemblies
on their
toes and
make
them
more
accountable.
He said
the
people
would be
more
receptive
to
paying
their
taxes if
the
assemblies
educated
them on
how the
revenue
collected
was
used.
He gave
the
assurance
that
there
would be
no
political
interference
by the
assemblies
in the
activities
of the
oversight
committees.
GNA
