The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Samuel Nuertey Ayertey has described as utmost necessity for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to ensure the active involvement and participation of community members and key stakeholders in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development activities at the local level.
He said that the ruling Government led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was conscious of the fact that there could not be equitable and sustainable development without identifying the needs and aspirations of the communities involved.
The Deputy Minister emphatically stated Governments in the world over, have the responsibility of improving the lives of the people they govern, thereby making rural development the utmost responsibility of this government.
However, every development efforts, the Deputy Minister said must meet the needs and aspirations of the people.
“It is an undeniable fact that we cannot talk of achieving equitable and sustainable development without taking the needs and aspirations of the communities involved and also, actively involving them in the planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation processesâ€.
His comment follows a meeting with the Hunger Project-Ghana at Akode, a Community in the Okere District of the Eastern Region. The project was strategically introduced in 1996 to forge development at the community level, women-centered integrated rural development in Ghana.
This Hunger Project seeks to change the mindset of people from incapability to capability and works at improving lives and living conditions of people.
The Project's approach to development ensures that community partners are empowered to handle their own challenges.
“The Hunger Project building in the Eastern Region, which is a multi-faceted purpose infrastructure has been well designed to handle the integral issues relating to development and the approach is an admirable one.
The Hunger Project's strategy as a means of empowerment is addressing several challenges including access to healthcare, education, food security, gender equality among others, Mr. Nuertey Ayertey saidâ€.
The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister expressed the need for strong partnership with development partners, donors, and NGOs to enable Government to achieve its determined goal of bringing development to the doorsteps of the citizenry.
“It is in light of this that we are not oblivious of the roles of other stakeholders like The Hunger Project in complementing government's effortsâ€.
, December 18, 2019