Training on Monitoring Accountability conducted for LANet Members in Kumasi Metro.
The Kumasi Metropolis members of the Local Accountability Network (LANet) received training from the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) on monitoring audit recommendations. The training aimed to equip participants with the capacity to follow up on governance issues, particularly on social accountability to ensure proper resource utilization.
The training programme is part of a two-year project, “Building Evidence for Increased Accountability in Ghana through a Multi-stakeholder Initiative,” implemented in 15 districts across the country. The project is funded by the Hewlett Foundation and aims to strengthen the capacity of LANets across the implementing districts to monitor the implementation of audit recommendations and the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.
The project’s goal is to recover misappropriated funds from selected public institutions while enhancing financial management systems for efficient spending and reducing public fund leakages. The Auditor General’s reports from 2021-2023 will collate audit citations and accompanying recommendations related to selected public institutions.
The project beneficiaries would follow up on the implementation of audit recommendations related to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), while KMA will be engaged periodically to advocate for the implementation of audit recommendations and NACAP presentations.
Mr Bright Sowu, Head of Programmes, GACC, urged the participants not to be confrontational when engaging officials of the Assembly because they would need the cooperation of the officials to get the job done. He noted that the citizens whose money is used for government expenditure were the best people to monitor what their money was being used for, and they could lead the fight better than anyone else.
Finally, the participants suggested measures that could be adopted to make corruption unattractive to public officials.