Akatsi, Aug. 30, GNA - Ghanaians have been urged to put the Complaints Units of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in their areas to use, to help deepen the decentralization concept.

Mr Eric Osae, an Official of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), who made the call, said citizens need to lodge complainants whether against an Assemblyman, a Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCE) or the Assemblies themselves with the Units for redresses.

"It is your right, granted under the local government system, to seek answers for issues that bother you, to ensure that democracy, transparency and development become factual and beneficial to all", he said.

Mr Osae, delivering a speech on the topic "Efficient Local Governance and Its Benefits" at an ordinary meeting of the Akatsi District Assembly at Akatsi, noted that the Complaints Unit was to arm the people to hold the system and officials accountable.

"Hold your leaders accountable and insist on transparency, or else the democracy and development the decentralization system was to expand and deepen, would not come", he told the people.

Asking the Assemblies to open up to the citizens and consult them through the Assembly members for views, Mr Osae also demanded of chiefs, religious and other leaders to use their platforms to mobilize support for the activities of the MMDAs.

He reminded the people to be responsible as they demand their rights by paying their taxes and levies to enable the Assemblies to provide development projects to the communities.

Mr Osae said the concept of decentralisation, which is to promote development in a participatory manner, relegates politics to the background and asked the people to unite.

Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankra, Deputy Minister of Local Government, said the Government was on course with its "Better Ghana Agenda", explaining that 1000 Under Tree schools had been built in one year, whiles the country's $500 million annual rice import bill had dropped by 30 per cent, after policies adopted had increased local rice production at Aveyime and other places.

Mr Ankrah said the numerous projects being carried out by the MMDAs all over, were to the credit of Government and described as mere propaganda, claims by some critics that the Government was not performing.

Mr Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Akatsi DCE, disclosed that 60 per cent of the Assembly's GHC400,000 indebtedness his administration inherited had been paid off and appealed for the mobilization of more internally generated revenue in view of the inadequacy of the Common Fund allocation to meet development needs.

Mr Nortsu-Kotoe later led the Deputy Local Government Minister to inspect some projects being done by the Assembly including the Akatsi public car terminal construction at GHC1.2 million and a three semi-detached staff quarters at GHC2150,000 each, meant to house six staff of the Assembly when completed. GNA