The deputy minister of Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development, Ibrahim Kalokoh has called for accountability of funds among the various bodies involved in managing decentralized funds.
The deputy minister was speaking yesterday at the Bintumani Hotel at the opening of the vision for decentralization and local governance in Sierra Leone 2008 and beyond, where he also said there was a clear need for proper networking and high integrity to ensure accountability.
The Decentralization Secretariat and capacity Building Programme is reviewing and monitoring framework of the institutional reform in looking at results and reformation.
Mr Kalokoh remarked that if the bold step was not taken in ensuring financial accountability “we may end up with everybody doing everything and nobody knowing what the other is doing.”
He said as the Decentralization Secretariat thought of good governance, there was the need to highlight the necessity and important role of local government as they had important strengths that must be built on in order to manage some of the economic and social challenges facing the country.
“As local level democracies, local governments occupy a strong place in the society, and are able to bring together the diverse range of bodies that contribute to the life and well being of the general populace,” he said.
The minister assured that his ministry would continue to play a more facilitative role to encourage the councils promote economic growth, efficiency and effectiveness.
He further stressed that his ministry would continue to subscribe and promote the principles of good governance, accountability, transparency, predictability, responsiveness, effectiveness and equity at local levels.
The Project Development Objective and its results framework were formulated in 2003/04 to monitor implementation, progress and set benchmarks for the National Decentralization and Capacity Building Programme during the transitional phase, 2004-08.
According to the minister, since the inception of the project, considerable progress had been made but as the transition phase was approached, there was the need for an assessment of progress made on the development objective and results framework.