COMMITTEES SET UP TO OVERSEE SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGs.
The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs. Della Sowah has inaugurated the Regional, District and Community Social Protection Committees at Apagya in the Afigya Kwabre district of Ashanti.
According to the
Deputy Minister, the inauguration is necessary to make social protection become
very efficient and effective in delivering services to those who are in need.
Among
the functions of the committees is the undertaking of community sensitization
on social protection as well as assisting enumerators in household
identification and data collection. Correspondent Akosua Frema Frempong’s
report is read to you.
At the inaugural
ceremony, it came to light that among the 54 communities in the Afigya-Kwabre district,
only six have being enrolled onto the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty,
LEAP Programme.
The communities are Amponsakrom, Abidjan, Banko, Patase,
Besease and Ejuratia-Mimi. Also in the Ashanti region, only two districts
benefited from the social protection programme.
Deputy Minister of Gender,
Children and Social Protection, Mrs. Della Sowah explained that the LEAP
Programme is part of the Ghana Social Opportunities Project which provides
money for extremely poor households and persons with disability in the country to
reduce poverty and enhance long term human development.
She debunked assertions
from a cross-section of the public that government, by implementing this social
protection programme, is helping people to be lazy saying that, it is rather
helping to improve their livelihood.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, John
Alexander Ackon said social protection all over the world has become a major
tool for addressing poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion, adding that it
has become an efficient and effective tool in particularly developing countries
in recent times.
He said if social protection interventions are adequately
designed and implemented, they would contribute to socio-economic development
and also narrow the inequality gap in the country.
Mr. Ackon noted that the successful
implementation of the social protection programme hinges on the establishment
and strengthening of structures at various levels of implementation to ensure
effective and efficient coordination and management.
He therefore appealed to the
members of the regional, district and community committees to work together to
ensure the effective implementation of the programme.
He cautioned them against
partisanship and nepotism and rather create equal opportunities for eligible
beneficiaries.
The Regional Minister said as a new project, there is bound to
be teething problems. However, with commitment and determination, its objectives
will be achieved.
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