The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama has called on the United Nations Development Programme to support the government priority projects like planting for food and jobs and others that are rural-driven to improve the livelihood of our rural people.
She said one of the United Nation’s agenda is on climate change and the focus should be at the local level and therefore pledged the readiness of the Ministry to work with UNDP through the District Assemblies so ensure the achievement of the desired results.
Hajia Alima Mahama said this when the UNDP Resident Coordinator led a delegation made up of representatives of the UN Agencies in Ghana to pay a courtesy call at her office last Friday.
She said one other area looking for support is on how to increase the internal revenue mobilization capacities of the Assemblies, since government is of the view that the Common fund should not be the only source of revenue for the assemblies.
The Local Government and Rural Development Minister also intimated that the ‘one district, one factory’, ‘planting for infrastructure for poverty alleviation, the national address and digitized system are other areas the UNDP can also collaborate and support.
Hajia Alima Mahama revealed that the decision of Government is to have Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives elected through the Universal Adult suffrage and this requires a lot of work especially the Constitutional amendment through a referendum and called for sharing of ideas to ensure that whatever will be put in place will be acceptable by all.
She told the delegation that there was the need for the two institutions to develop and tap other areas for collaboration especially in the areas of capacity building of the Assembly members, Presiding members and even the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, since the quality of human resources at the district level will impact positively in the quality of services rendered.
Hajia Alima Mahama said her Ministry through the Department of Community Development has been tasked to come out with alternative livelihoods for the galamsayers and called for support especially from the UNICEF, FAO.
She pledged the preparedness of her Ministry to work closely with UNDP to ensure that the government priority programmes became successful.
Madam Christie Evans-Klod, UN Resident Coordinator on her part said the UN priorities are on three areas namely, sustainable socio-economic development, decentralization and the environment. Therefore our mission is to identify the Government’s priority projects and harmonized them in our work programme. She said as part of the UN Reforms, it is expected to listen to country specific needs and how best to integrate them into their goals for smooth implementation
One area of interest is on women’s health and gender equity and it is gratifying that President Nana Akufo-Addo is a strong gender advocate. We will therefore focused our efforts in community development towards women and children issues.
The UN Resident Coordinator revealed that at the moment most of the agencies under the UN are working with the assemblies in the areas of adolescent sexual reproductive, teak extension, improved farming methods among other things.
Other Members of the delegation were ERIKA GOLDSON of UNFPA, Abenaa Ntori of UN-Habitat, Rushnan Murtala, UNICEF, Niyi Ojuolaa of UNFPA, Tadria Sophie of FAO. The Ministry was representated by Hon OB Amoah, Hon. Collins Ntim, Hon Boateng Adjei, both deputy ministers, the Chief Director and other officials.
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