The Nanton District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has held the second phase of its Social Auditing Engagement Programme to build citizens capacity to promote accountability in the district.

It was part of the NCCE’s Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ARAP), supported by the European Union with the aim to promoting good governance by reducing corruption and improving on accountability in compliance with the rule of law.

The engagement, held at Nanton-Kurugu, brought together traditional authorities, representatives from faith-based organisations, Ghana Education Service (GES), youth and women groups, opinion leaders, some Heads of Department at the Nanton District Assembly, unit committee members, amongst other groups.

Mr Ibrahim Iddrisu, Nanton District Director of NCCE, who spoke during the event, explained the concept of social auditing to the people and took them through the processes involved in undertaking the audit.

Social auditing enhances citizens participation in the governance process and empowers them to demand accountability on community development projects initiated by relevant authorities.

Mr Iddrisu noted that the engagement was an opportunity for them to understand community ownership of projects and how duty-bearers could effectively deliver services to their communities.

He urged them to take interest in development projects initiated in their communities as well as ask relevant questions to ensure accountability on such projects.

He advised participants to continue to abide by the COVID-19 preventive protocols outlined by the Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organisation to help reduce the spread of the disease.

Mr Imoro Mariwan, an official from the GES, who represented the Nanton District Director of Education, encouraged the citizenry to support efforts in curbing teacher absenteeism in schools within the district because it was a form of corruption, which needed to be tackled.

Some of the participants contributing said the country could only triumph in the fight against corruption when agencies and institutions responsible in checking the problem were fair and just in dealing with all persons found to have committed the crime.

Meanwhile, at the end of the event, the NCCE inaugurated a 10-member Social Auditing Committee at the community to oversee successful implementation of projects identified in the area.