By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Ho
The maiden edition of the ‘Accountability Dialogue Series’ has been held simultaneously in five (5) zones (Ho, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Wa and Sunyani) across Ghana, with the Ho Zone event being held for a total of eleven (11) Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) partner districts and municipalities from the Eastern, Volta and Oti regions.
The Accountability Dialogue Series was organized by the German Technical Co-operation (GIZ) in collaboration with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the Office of the Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS).
The beneficiary Districts and Municipalities were Ketu South, South Tongu, Hohoe and North Dayi in the Volta Region, Biakoye, Krachi East and Kadjebi in Oti as well as Abuakwa South, New Juaben North, Atiwa East and Fanteakwa North in the Eastern Region.
The Accountability Dialogues Series is a unique platform for stakeholders within the anti-corruption space at the sub-national level. It seeks to engage in discussions on challenges impacting the fight against corruption and its related issues. The platform additionally aims at equipping the key stakeholders with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively contribute to the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACAP) at the sub-national level.
The session brought together Regional Internal Auditors and Regional Auditors (Ghana Audit Service) from the three (3) participating regions, Municipal and District Co-ordinating Directors (MDCDs), Internal Auditors and Chairs of Audit Committees and Presiding Members (PMs) of the beneficiary Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) as well as Municipal and District Directors (MDDs) of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Opening the workshop, the GIZ Technical Advisor, Mr. Dodzi Goka noted that the presence of the participants at the maiden Accountability Series workshop would create and sustain a strong platform for open dialogue, collaboration and collective commitment to reinforce the pillars of transparency and accountability at the sub-national level and for that matter Ghana as a whole. He expressed appreciation to all the partners and stakeholders for their collaboration and on-going efforts at dedication to what he described as a resilient and democratic society.
Mr. Goka pointed out that the Series would be focused on several critical accountability areas, including public financial management, citizens engagement, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of integrity systems just to mention a few.
He reaffirmed the commitment of GIZ’s governance programme to foster an environment where accountability is at the heart of governance. ‘Through these dialogues, we will lay the groundwork for a system that is transparent, responsive and resilient in the face of challenges’, Mr. Goka intimated.
A Programme Officer at the GACC, Mr. Samuel Harrison-Cudjoe was the main facilitator at the workshop. He took the participants through the two (2) main topics (Conflict of Interest in the Public Sector and Beneficial Ownership Disclosure) of the day in addition to guiding and leading the participants in a group discussion and presentation on potential risks of conflict of interest, real-life examples and how to encounter them for the appropriate solutions. Each of the five (5) groups dealt with one case study for presentation, interrogation and discussion.
He reiterated that conflict of interest situations can be resolved, adding that it is doable. According to Mr. Cudjoe, Ghana is not short of solutions to any problem facing the country. ‘The problem is not the law but rather whether we are ready as a people to apply or enforce the law impartially’, the facilitator emphasized.
The facilitator used the occasion to stress the need for the participants to use the knowledge and skills acquired to positively impact their work at the various MDAs and in their respective regions.
According to Mr. Harrison-Cudjoe, conflict of interest situations in the public sector are real and called on the participants to guard against such temptations. Beneficial Ownership Transparency (BOT) should also be keenly adhered to in the discharge of their responsibilities so as to avoid issues of corruption, money laundering and their related crimes.
The Oti Regional Internal Auditor, Mr. Johnson Owusu described the workshop as very revealing and educative. According to him, the Series would go a long way not only to strengthen their capabilities but also improve their judgment in the discharge of their duties.
The PAIReD programme is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Co-operation (SECO).
