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Six Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Northern Ghana, have committed to improve information disclosure and accountability to citizens, in a bid to actively engage them in local governance decision-making process for speedy development.

The Assemblies include the Tamale Metropolitan, Savelugu-Nanton and West Mamprusi districts in the Northern Region, as well as Sissala-East district, Nandom district and Wa Municipal in the Upper West Region.

The move followed a collaboration brokered by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with the Assemblies, local radio stations and community-based organizations under its media for participatory and accountable local governance project.

Ms Abigail Larbi-Odei, MFWA’s Programme Officer for Media, Democracy and Development told the Ghana News Agency that the partnership would deepen democracy and local governance practice at the grass roots.

The Foundation’s “Radio for Participatory and Accountable local governance project” has been implemented in more than 20 districts across the country in different phases.

Feedback from the earlier phases of the project showed demonstrable listener satisfaction, improved service delivery and demand-driven development, the foundation, she said.

According to the Foundation, this is the third phase of the project in the Northern and Upper West Regions funded by the Canadian High Commission and the Embassy of the United States.

Under the deal, she said citizens in six districts in Northern and Upper West regions will enjoy access to more platforms that enable them to engage local authorities on pertinent governance and development issues.

“Through consistent radio programming and community governance dialogues, the citizens will more importantly have increased opportunity to interact frequently, hear more about local developments, ask questions and highlight their concerns for appropriate actions and responses from their local government authorities,” she added.