According to the keynote speaker of the fifth town hall meeting held by the Archdiocese of Accra, Mr George Mussey, local authorities and the central government need to be empowered to deliver development projects within the constituencies for their district.
Mr Mussey elaborated that strengthening institutions such as district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies to deliver the requisite critical infrastructural development will enable Members of Parliament (MPs) to focus on their constitutionally mandated roles which are seen in their participation in legislation for the benefit of the constituency and country, vetting of president’s nominees for ministerial positions, use of the MP’s Common Fund for community services and lobbying the government for developmental projects in the constituency.
Mr. George Mussey further said, the principle of governance is mainly on decision making process of the representatives of the people for the welfare of the people. In the process, there is the need to consult the people, seek and consider their views. He added that the act of consulting the people for their views empowers them, thus, encouraging them to participate in the implementation of decisions made.
Mr. George Mussey made these remarks when he delivered the keynote address in a town hall meeting organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra for the Parliamentary Candidates and constituents of Ablekuma West constituency.
The event which is the fifth of the kind within the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, was on the theme, ‘The Role of Parliament, Local Authority and Participatory Governance in Community Development.’ An initiative by the Catholic Church in Ghana to help consolidate stakeholder participation in the governance of the nation.
The parish priest of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish and representative of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Rev. Fr. Albert Gyapanin explained the purpose of the town hall meeting. According to him, the meeting was designed to bring together key stakeholders including parliamentary candidates, the Municipal Chief Executive, assembly members, traditional rulers, opinion leaders, religious bodies, law enforcement agencies and the general public to have a discourse on the duties of MPs and constituents in the attempt to enhance development in the constituency.
The Ablekuma West Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, Matthias Oppong, took time to educate participants on the procedure for casting their votes. He entreated all to vote not only for the sake of expected development but for the sake of peace. Finally, he advised electorates to eschew violence, cast their votes in peace while following all the laid down COVID-19 safety protocols.
The meeting was held at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Dansoman on Sunday, November 22, saw traditional rulers, the parliamentary candidate for the LPG, Esther Dickson, Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, Matthias Oppong, assembly members and parishioners. However, the parliamentary candidates for the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress, failed to attend the event.
Source: Emmanuel Kumatse
