Bolgatanga, Aug. 24. GNA - Municipal and District Chief Executives in the Upper

East Region have been urged to appoint only competent and active people to Assemblies

and not favourites and party loyalists, who might not be up to the task.

Mrs Lucy Awuni, Upper East Deputy Regional Minister made the call when she

opened a two-day workshop on public participation in Local Governance, organized in

Bolgatanga at the week end, for District Chief Executives and personnel of the District Assemblies in the Region.

She also appealed to the people in the region to choose people whom they trust could participate actively during Assembly meetings, and vote for them in the District level

elections to represent them at the Assemblies.

Mrs Awuni expressed concern that the unit committee concept was gradually dying

due to lack of interest and called on District Chief Executives to encourage the people to

revive it and keep it active.

"I do not know of any active unit committee in this region, nobody seems to be

interested and even the one Assembly I know, that encouraged people to stand for it and be voted, had to give the contestants money to take passport size pictures to fill their forms and even those committees are not active", she said.

The public participation in Local Governance Programme (PPLG) in partnership with municipal and district assemblies is educating the people in the Upper East Region, to actively get involved in shaping policies, influencing priorities and resource allocation at local and national level for more equitable development.

Mr Abdallah Abubakari, Programme Director, PPLG, assured the Assemblies that all women who would be voted or appointed to the Assemblies would be given training to boost their capacity to enable them to take active part in the Assemblies.

He said the programme was supporting the Assemblies not to only educate people on

local governance but strengthen them to be able to contribute in the formulation and monitoring of policies that affect local governance.

The Assemblies, in their reports complained that negative cultural practices were still discouraging women from getting involved in local governance and that the men intimidates the woman who showed interest in standing for District Assembly elections.