Dr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Consulting Director of the Centre for Public Accountability, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Tuesday called for an accountable relationship between public office holders and the citizenry who provide the resources.

He said all the money government generates comes from the people, hence the need for public office holders to be accountable to the people.

He said the country’s laws make room for financial accountability such as the Public Financial Management System, the Audit Service Act, the tax laws and other financial laws.

Dr Kan-Dapaah made the call Accra in at the opening ceremony of the Maiden Annual Summer School of the Centre for Public Accountability programme.

The four-day programme, which aimed at developing the capacities of key public sector leaders and managers, is being attended by Senior Public Servants, Directors of Ministries, Parliamentarians, Chief Executives of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, Coordinating Directors, Heads of Educational Institutions, District and Regional Directors of Education, Budget, Planning and Finance Officers.

The participants would deliberate on current issues confronting the Public Sector Financial Management Systems and develop time-bound solutions to be administered in their institutions.

Other issues that are of social, environmental and economic importance to the attainment of good and accountable governance would also feature prominently in the training programme.

Dr Kan-Dapaah said accountability or the lack of it is the weakest link in the governance of the country.

He said the primary goal of the Centre is to provide academic leadership to study, research and development recommendations and advocate reforms to promote accountability and transparency in Public Sector Management.

He said the Annual Summer School, which is the flagship programme of the University’s Centre for Public Accountability seeks to educate public office holders, managers of public funds and decision makers on the practices, procedures and regulatory frameworks within which the resources and powers given them must be used.

Professor Joshua Alabi, Vice Chancellor of UPSA who chaired the launch said the nation has a problem of accountability.

He said the University’s Annual Summer School would enable public office holders to appreciate the works of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.

Mr George Quartey, Dean, Faculty of Accounting and Finance, UPSA said the programme would build the capacity of participants on the principles of accountability in the management of public offices.