Accra, Sept. 17, GNA - Mr. Joseph Henry Mensah, Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), has appealed to the Council of Churches to act as "a questioning instrument" for effective and successful decentralisation process of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He noted that many Ghanaians, especially those in the rural areas, had little or no knowledge of what the MDGs meant and needed to know what it meant for Ghana.

"Though Ghana has made progress in some areas of the eight targets it still has more to do and we will only achieve the targets if we all show commitment," he added. Speaking at the launch of the country's shadow report on the MDGs, which is a draft, Mr Mensah said Ghana had gone far with MDG 2, which talks about achieving universal education by 2015, MDG 4, which talks about reducing child mortality and MDG 8, which deals with developing a global partnership for development.

"But there is more ahead of us to do to meet the targets and we must bear in mind the year 2015 is not far away from now." The launch of the shadow report was organised by the Ghana Millennium Development Goals Campaign Development in collaboration with the Christian Council. Mr Mensah explained under MDG 1 that talks about eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, the system must be developed to assist farmers, adding, "until we provide the necessary amenities it will be difficult to attain the target". Professor Clara Fayosey of the University of Ghana who launched the report called for the need to ensure increase in productivity to achieve the target.

Ms Keyerewa Akua Asamoah, Research Assistant of Ghana Millennium Development Goals Campaign, giving the details of the report said it was an outcome of a study termed "perceptions survey" on the implementation of the eight time-bound MDGs ratified by 189 heads of state and governments in 2000. The study sought to capture citizens' views about governments' efforts in achieving the MDGs by 2015. The findings revealed that the MDGs were guided by good intentions and provided good policy guide to governments but lacked commitment to achieving the targets. It called for increased awareness with emphasis on localising the MDGs and the need for all to support it since it was not the sole responsibility of government.

Ms. Asamoah called for public-private partnership to be supported to help address infrastructure gaps like education and health. The Most Reverend Robert Aboagye-Mensah of the Christian Council of Ghana who presided called for everybody to join hands in ensuring that most of the targets, if not all, were met by the stipulated time for the development and betterment of the all.