Adentan residents demand transparency from assembly
Residents of Adentan are calling for transparency in the operations of the Adentan Municipal Assembly (AdMA), especially with regard to its procurement practices.
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The residents are demanding that all the assembly’s procurement transactions be placed on its notice boards for public viewing and also as a way of keeping residents abreast of decisions taken by the administration on their behalf.
The recommendations were made at an open forum held under the auspices of the Social and Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (SPEFA) group and organised by the Intervention Forum (IF) and SNV-Ghana, two non-governmental organisations. The forum was planned to update residents on key developmental issues in the community.
SPEFA group is a network of citizen groups that engages local government authorities on public financial management. Its members include representatives from the AdMA, women and farmers’ organisations, unit committees, religious groups, traditional leaders, among others.
SPEFA also acts as a pressure group on the AdMA, with the aim of making sure that the assembly indulges in activities that are clean, transparent and responsive.
The participants in the programme expressed their dismay over the lack of coordination between the assembly and other government agencies in awarding contracts for projects in Adentan. They called for improvement in communication between bodies involved in awarding contracts for the municipality.
They also expressed their worry over the sale of lands alloted to the AdMA for development projects by unscrupulous persons.
In the matter of generating enough revenue for the development of the municipality, the residents have called for the formation of a strong landlords association. They said when such an association was formed it would ensure prompt payment of property rates which would eventually boost the assembly’s internally generated funds.
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Objective
Welcoming the participants to the forum, the Chief Executive Officer of Intervention Forum (IF), Mrs Nora Ollennu, who is also the focal person for the Adentan District Citizen Monitoring Committee, said the forum must be made a regular feature in the municipality.
She noted that it was important for residents to be well informed about key development issues in the municipality as well as interact with officers of the assembly with a view to promote transparency and accountability.
“We can only achieve this when we avail ourselves to be empowered with in-depth knowledge of issues that concern us.
“As a member of SPEFA, you automatically become the voice of the voiceless of the municipality and, therefore, it becomes your responsibility to share information with others,” she said.
She called for the group, therefore, to be made more active and attractive in order to help develop the Adentan Municipality, noting that rights came with responsibilities.
Illegal bus stations
The Adentan Municipal Procurement Officer, Mr Moro Muhassan, took the group through various topics including the Public Procurement Act of 2003 (Act 654), the importance of the procurement process and asset management.
He said the assembly was complying with all procurement regulations and made sure that it used resources wisely and that its business transactions were transparent.
The Transport Officer at AdMA, Mr Vladimir Sanar Nortey, appealed to residents who had land to make some available to the assembly to be used for bus stations.
He said there were currently three official bus stations and “a lot of stations that had sprung up at unauthorised places and this is worrying”.
SPEFA members who had made valuable contributions to the progress of the group in 2014 were presented with special awards at the forum.
writer’s email: emelia.ennin@graphic.com.gh