He gave the caution during a forum on Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (SPEFA) organized by Resource Link Foundation in Wenchi.   

Hon. Samuel Mensah intimated that the paying of bribes by MMDCE nominees usually marks the beginning of corruption in the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. “If the President of the republic abhors corruption everybody must play his or her part to achieve that objective.

The Coordinating Director of Resource Link Foundation, a Ghanaian Non-Governmental Organization and implementing partner of the SPEFA project in the Wenchi Municipality, Mr. Christopher Dapaah appealed to citizens to play active part in the development of their communities especially the Assembly’s medium term development plan preparation.

He said the active participation of citizens in the preparation of the plan will ensure that their developmental needs are taken care of by the Assembly. He also urged the Municipal Planning Coordinating Unit (MPCU) to endeavour to consult the citizens in the preparation of the Assembly’s next medium term development plan. Mr. Dapaah said if citizens are given the opportunity to decide their own development, it elicits ownership of the whole development life cycle.

The first quarter Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability forum trained citizens on their roles in the Medium Term Development Planning process-the constituency factor as well as the District League Table and how to use it to exact accountability from duty bearers. 

A participant at the forum and a member of the Ghana Association of Persons living with Albinism, Mr. John Sablah expressed appreciation for the training and appealed to the Wenchi Municipal Assembly to engage the citizens on regular basis to get their support in developing the Municipality. The forum was attended by Trade Associations, Officials of the Wenchi Municipal Assembly, People with Disabilities, Market Women, Political Parties, Community Based organizations, the media among others.

The Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (SPEFA) project is being implemented in all the Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies nationwide to build capacities of citizens groups to demand accountability from duty bearers from an informed position to improve upon local governance and service delivery in the Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies.

The project is being funded by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development with support from the World Bank and with the Netherland Development Organization (SNV-GHANA) as the lead organization in the implementation process.