A study conducted by Friends of the Earth-Ghana, a Nongovernmental organization findings has revealed that most communities especially the smaller ones in the northern region, are not consulted in the planning and budget processes by their local representatives, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.
The assemblies according to the NGO hold meetings with officials within the assemblies. The adverse effects of their actions are that implementation of either revenue collection or physical infrastructure development policies become difficult for them resulting sometimes in fracas.
The Northern Zonal Co-ordinator of Friends of the Earth-Ghana, Mr Dokurugu Abukari who disclosed this to Zaa news at a day community members training in Tamale described it as unfortunate.
Sixty community members from Savelugu/Nanton municipality, as well as the Kumbungu and Nanumba North districts in the northern region were trained on the budget and planning process of their respective assemblies.
The training was under the Empowering Local Communities and Civil Society to Demand Accountability Project with financial support from the European Union. It was to equip community members with the requisite knowledge to have a say in the decisions the assemblies make on their behalf.
Ten members each from the beneficiary communities including Civil Society Organizations, the National Commission for Civic Education( NCCE ) as well as budget and planning unit officials were selected for the training.
The training was to empower community members to demand their rights from the district assemblies. The Director of Friends of the Earth-Ghana, Dr Theo Anderson, in an address read on his behalf by Alhaji Sayibu Abiru, explained that the training was important because community members in most parts of developing world cannot engage the local authorities in a constructive manner.
According to Anderson, attempts by communities to communicate their problems sometimes result in confrontations with authorities. This, he said, does not lead to development in the communities, hence the need for a cordial relationship.
He said attacking assemblies for their share of the national cake is not the best way for communities but it is rather through dialogue that their demands can be met.
Under the current decentralization process, assemblies are mandated to make their budgets and planning processes public to avoid protestations from communities against the execution of projects.
While demanding for their rights, community members were entreated to be responsible by paying their taxes and property rates as well as organizing periodic communal labor to clean their environment.
