This came to light during a day’s District level reporting and feedback forum organized by CDD in partnership with Hope Alive 360 Foundation and NGO and the Dormaa East District Assembly at Wamfie in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Mr. Paul Osei Kuffour, a programme Manager of CDD-GHANA for the northern sector who made the disclosure said participation of citizens in the governance process breeds transparency and accountability and rules out rumours of corruption and mismanagement in public service delivery.

Mr. Osei Kuffour stated that the project drew its strength from commitments and protocols that Ghana has signed on the global stage including open governance partnership (OGP), the Sustainable Development Goals especially goal (16) as well as global partnership for social accountability of the World Bank which require government to ensure participatory and inclusive government at all levels. He said this will promote transparency, citizen engagement, accountability and responsive institutions at all levels of governance.
Throwing more light on a baseline survey conducted by the Centre on citizens’ participation in the District Assemblies planning and budgeting processes, Mr. Osei Kuffour noted that there was poor citizens’ knowledge and participation in the planning and budgeting processes of the Assemblies. 

He stated that the Local Government Act, Act 462, the Planning System Regulations Act and the National Development Planning Commission Act as well as the Ministry of Finance regulation and guidelines on planning and budgeting require citizen’s participation in the planning and the budgeting processes at the MMDAs. He therefore underscored the need for the Assemblies to build an inclusive society by ensuring citizens participation in the local governance processes.  

He said to sustain the project, the CDD will build its local partner, Hope Alive 360 Foundation and selected staff of the Dormaa East District Assembly.On his part, the District Chief Executive for Dormaa East, Hon. Franklin Kumi charged participants to take the project serious since it will afford them the opportunity to appreciate the Local Governance System. He also appealed to them to share whatever knowledge they will acquire with the groups they represent.

The forum was part of activities of the Centre for Democratic Development Ghana project under the theme “Promoting Social Accountability through Citizens Participation in Local Governance” which is being supported with funding from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and implemented in twenty Districts across the country.