A network aimed at facilitating active engagements between citizens and governments to deepen decentralisation and enhance social accountability at national and local levels has been set-up.

The “Social Accountability Network – B/A” is a Non-Partisan and Non-Profit making network, comprising media practitioners, academia and Civil Society Organisations.

It seeks to advocate strict adherence, and push effective policy implementation on utilisation of public resources, active citizen participation in local governance as well as monitor and evaluate execution of capital projects for sustainable development.

Mr Ralphael Godlove Ahenu, the Founder of the Network, said fundamental principle of democracy was to ensure that citizens had the right to demand a governance system that ensured accountability of power holders, duty-bearers and public actors.

Citizens, he said, however, could get better services when officials respected the public and followed the principles of social accountability.

The relationship between democracy and social accountability is therefore important in ensuring that government officials and community representatives respect the wider community.

Mr Ahenu, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), an anti-corruption and media advocacy Non-Governmental Organisation noted that if citizens were actively involved in governance processes, it would improve on governance and lead to better service delivery as well.