Bolgatanga: The Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), a non-governmental organisation, has launched a project to promote resilience in citizen-led accountability and performance in Bolgatanga. The project, named 'Promoting Resilience in Citizen-Led Accountability and Performance (PRICLAP)', aims to enhance democratic governance and empower communities.
According to Ghana News Agency, the PRICLAP project will be implemented in five municipalities and districts in the region, including Bolgatanga and Kassena-Nankana Municipalities, as well as Bongo, Nabdam, and Kassena-Nankana West Districts. The initiative is supported by the Participation Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. It is co-financed by the European Union (EU) and Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and implemented by GIZ in cooperation with Ghana's Ministry of Finance.
The launch event brought together representatives from GIZ, District Chief Executives, traditional leaders, and management and staff of PARDA, along with Regional Directors of the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Dr Michael Wombeogo, the Executive Director of PARDA, emphasized that the PRICLAP project's objective is to support good and accountable governance at both the District Assemblies and the Regional Coordinating Council. He stated the initiative aims to build resilience in institutions, communities, and citizens' ability to demand and deliver better public service outcomes.
Dr Wombeogo highlighted that the beneficiary Municipalities and Districts encompass 50 communities, each facing unique challenges and aspirations. He noted that 15,850 direct community members across 144 electoral areas in the five MDAs would benefit from the project. He urged participants to commit to the project's values, emphasizing listening, learning, and leading with integrity. Dr Wombeogo stressed that governance thrives when citizens are informed, engaged, and empowered to hold duty bearers accountable. He described the project's accountability as a paradigm shift towards service delivery, community engagement, strategic planning, and shared responsibility with community-wide stakeholders.
Dr Wombeogo cautioned against using the initiative as an opportunity for community leaders to form an Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team, instead encouraging stakeholders to focus on good governance and social transformation. He explained that PRICLAP would provide tools, platforms, and capacity-building to ensure inclusive and responsive governance through community scorecards, participatory planning, feedback mechanisms, and performance tracking. The call from PARDA and its partner, GIZ, is for government organs to uphold the values of social accountability and good democratic governance for the benefit of the people and the nation.
Mr Emmanuel Aboagye Odoom, the Technical Advisor of GIZ, remarked that accountability is a foundation of good governance, trust, political legitimacy, and sustainable development. He expressed hope that the project would deepen citizen participation, improve service delivery, and build trust between Assemblies and citizens. He emphasized that accountability should be seen as a shared responsibility among local leaders, citizens, and development partners.
