MMDFCEs, Coordinating Directors deepen knowledge in SOCO

 THE newly appointed Metropolitan, Munici­pal and District Chief Executives (MMDCES) and Coordinating Directors in the Northern and Oti Regions have ended a three -day training workshop to deepen their knowledge on the implemen­tation of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohe­sion Project (SOCO).

The idea of the workshop was to deepen the capacity of the MMDCEs to direct effectiveness and accurate work of the SOCO project in their various jurisdictions.

The workshop was organised by Ministry of Local Govern­ment, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs held in Tamale here on Wednesday.

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Ali Adolf John Mburudiba, speaking at the closing ceremony stated that the training was a crucial first step to give them the knowl­edge, resources and coordinated

 plans they needed to successfully continue the implementation of the SOCO project in their respec­tive operational jurisdictions.

“As you may be aware, the SOCO project is a five-year initia­tive between the Government of Ghana and the World Bank, with focus on strengthening the resil­ience of our border communities

 by mitigating the risks of violence and instability by addressing their root causes,” he noted.

He said the development chal­lenges of the various region were clear and vast geographical areas with many underserved commu­nities, a heavy dependence on climate vulnerable agriculture, and infrastructure gaps that limited access to vital services.

He added that SOCO project was anchored on the principles of inclusive development, local capacity building and target so­cio-economic interventions aimed at improving livelihoods, infra­structure and service delivery.

Additionally, Mr Mburidiba explained that as they were the drivers of the implementation of the SOCO Project at the grass­roots level, it was imperative that they get a thorough understanding of the project implementation framework, and get guidance for effective planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation of the project.

“It is your duty to lead and coordinate all project activities within your jurisdictions to ensure judicious and transparent use of resources to champion participa­tory planning, budgeting, monitor and report timely on the progress of implementation,” he indicated.

Furthermore, the minister said the Regional Coordination Coun­cils across the beneficiary districts would ensure that activities at the district level align with regional and national development frame­

works, and monitor, evaluate progress and ensure account­ability and transparency in all the projects.

He also mentioned that the RCC would provide leadership, technical backstopping and quality assurance for the smooth implementation and success of the project.

The Project Coordinator of SOCO, Madam Elizabeth Ohe­newah Agyei, said the success or failure of the project was largely depended on their ability to understand the modules and coordinate its implementation at the local level.

The Project Coordinator urged them to facilitate the successfully implementation of the project to help bridge the development gaps, especially in deprived communities.

The Metropolitan Chief Exec­utive of Tamale, Mr Abubakari Iddrisu Takoro, thanked the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Af­fairs for organising the training to deepen their knowledge on SOCO projects.

FROM YAHAYA NUHU NADAA, TAMALE

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