The Tech for Inclusive Governance platform, which was introduced at a stakeholder training programme at Sogakope in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region, provides citizens with a direct channel to report service delivery challenges to their local assembly and follow up on actions taken.

Mr Edward Teye Sarpong, the Senior Research Coordinator of the GGA, said the initiative formed part of the organisation’s efforts to transform local governance by making assemblies more responsive to the needs and concerns of citizens.

He said the platform allowed reported cases to be received by the assembly and referred to the appropriate departments or institutions for action, while giving citizens visibility over the progress of their complaints until they were resolved.

Mr Sarpong affirmed that the GGA would work with local authorities and technology partners to further improve the platform in response to emerging needs.

He urged stakeholders, including civil society organisations, women, youth and persons with disabilities, to promote and use the platform to ensure broad participation in local governance.

“Our expectation is that the stakeholders gathered here will become agents of change who will carry this message to their various jurisdictions and ensure that their fellow citizens get access to and use the platform,” he said.

Mr Seth Fiagorme, the South Tongu Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), said the initiative provided citizens with a practical means of fulfilling their constitutional responsibility to participate effectively in governance.

He said citizens could use the platform to bring issues affecting their communities to the attention of the assembly, enabling the relevant departments to respond appropriately.

Mr Fiagorme described the training as timely and said it would contribute to strengthening accountability and transparency in the district.

He also urged citizens to play an active role in the fight against corruption, citing Article 35 of the 1992 Constitution, which enjoins the State to take appropriate measures to eradicate corruption.

He said the responsibility to combat corruption extended beyond state institutions, urging citizens to report practices that undermined development and the effective use of public resources.

The training brought together various stakeholders in the enclave to familiarise them with the platform and promote its adoption as a tool for citizen engagement and improved local governance.