District Assembly Debates of Validated Surveys Conducted by District Oversight Committees

The Peer Review Mechanism concept continues to gain roots in Ghana, specifically in the communities.

A new wave is blowing in the country’s District Assemblies where incredible appreciation has been exhibited to the work of the APRM District Oversight Committees in the monitoring and evaluation of governance at the local level. The new development in the process is the sharing of survey results with the District Assemblies.

District Oversight Committee members from each district facilitated the Assembly debate through a powerpoint presentation which walked assembly members through the administration of questionnaires, results, and analysis of the survey based on the four principles of the APRM.

Assembly members said they were amazed at most of the findings which profiled the true state of affairs in education, health delivery, provision of water and electricity, internet facilities, freedom of expression, transportation and roads, security, working conditions, child trafficking and prostitution and corruption in the public and private sectors among others.

At the end of the debates, all the Assemblies resolved to adopt the validated DOC reports and work with them. The Assemblies also resolved to devote resources to the training and motivation of doctors and teachers to improve the quality of education and health in the districts, increase tax education to increase revenue collection, adequately equip and give incentives to security personnel in the communities and at the borders to enforce bye-laws and also emphasize gender budgeting to address the concerns of women. This will help improve planning and development in the districts.

Assembly members commended the DOCs for their dedication and promised to invite them to Assembly budget meetings.

The Executive Secretary, Dr. Francis Appiah commended the Assemblies for their participation and level of commitment to the debate. He said the observance of the debates has brought great joy to the NAPRM- GC because the grassroots are now in the driver’s seat driving the APRM.

He urged the Assemblies to see themselves as change agents and to work together with the District Oversight Committees to bring total development to their communities.