Rise Ghana, a local Ghanaian NGO focused on human rights and sustainable development based in the Upper East Region, has established a 15-member non-partisan Inter-Sectorial Committee. This committee is dedicated to advancing inclusive elections, accountability, and quality service delivery, using party manifestos as a starting point for the Bolgatanga Central, Bongo, and Nabdam constituencies.
This initiative is being spearheaded by RISE-Ghana with funding from STAR-Ghana and the FCDO to promote inclusive elections and accountable governance. The committee comprises representatives from various sectors, including persons living with disabilities, women, underrepresented groups, and political parties.
Addressing the media, the chairperson of the committee, Madam Gladys Apuweni, highlighted the main objectives, which include tracking campaign promises and making policy recommendations, as well as conducting and disseminating inter-constituency rankings based on the fulfillment of these promises. She emphasized that the committee’s goals also include monitoring the allocation and use of MPs’ Common Fund in the three targeted constituencies.
Madam Apuweni explained that the Manifesto Tracker will provide a comprehensive and user-friendly platform designed to enhance transparency and responsiveness in governance and constituency development. Key features will include systematic monitoring of key manifesto commitments, utilization of the MPs’ Common Fund, and ensuring that essential information is accessible to all citizens through data visualizations.
She also expressed the committee’s readiness to collaborate with the media to ensure adequate feedback to constituents. This will involve working closely with members of Parliament in the three target constituencies through constructive engagement and dialogue regarding both manifesto promises and local development initiatives.
“The systematic monitoring of key manifesto commitments, easy access to information for all citizens, and tools for data visualization will illustrate progress on manifesto implementation and constituency development projects,” she stated. “We aim to create a platform for citizens to provide feedback and engage in constructive dialogue regarding both manifesto promises and local development initiatives, while also working with the media to ensure widespread dissemination of information.”
The committee will facilitate meetings with respective MPs to discuss their development visions sector by sector for their constituencies. These discussions will be documented and shared on the platform. The platform will track MPs’ performance based on manifesto fulfillment, Common Fund utilization, and community feedback, with results made publicly available.
Speaking exclusively to the media at Ganass Hotel in Bolgatanga, the executive director of RISE-Ghana, Alhaji Ahmed Awal Kariama, emphasized the need to create more awareness among citizens. According to Afrobarometer reports, less than 4% of electorates are consulted by their elected representatives. RISE-Ghana aims to foster a culture of civic engagement, enabling citizens to continuously engage with their duty bearers to demand improved services and a better quality of life.
Kariama noted that Ghana’s political landscape is overly partisan, highlighting the need for citizens to engage their elected representatives in a non-partisan manner. The inter-sectorial committee includes diverse members from society, including persons with disabilities, women, and other underrepresented groups, to track political party manifestos and promises made by elected officials, particularly MPs.
He added, “We need to track how MPs are utilizing their Common Fund. What promises did they make during elections? After elections, Ghanaians often fall silent until the next election cycle, which is typically four years away.”
RISE-Ghana firmly believes that the Manifesto Tracker and Constituency Development Initiative will strengthen democratic processes and promote quality service delivery and equitable development. By empowering citizens with the tools and information needed to hold their elected officials accountable, this initiative aims to contribute to a more transparent, responsive, and inclusive government. Additionally, recognizing and highlighting the best-performing MPs based on tracking results will incentivize good governance and effective representation.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya