According to ghana news agency:ccording to Ghana News Agency, the exercise undertaken by LANet Ho Chapter and other partners was part of efforts to verify published extractive sector data and assess whether funds disbursed for development projects were delivering the intended impact at the community level. The monitoring involved site visits to selected project locations, interviews with key stakeholders, including Presiding Members, Assembly Members, Planning Officers, and community beneficiaries, as well as photographic documentation of project progress and conditions.
The member organizations of the Ho LANet included the Africa Disability Institute (ADI), WomenNow Ghana, Global Action for Women Empowerment, YMCA Volta Regional Council, the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), JoyNews, WODAO, Zibo Mobisquad, Rural Needs Foundation (RUNEF), and the Alale Youth Association. Projects funded through the Oil and Gas Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) and monitored were drawn from the Akatsi North District and the Ho Municipality.
In Akatsi North, the team assessed the construction of 15 culverts across the Volta Region, four of which were in the district, the Ave Afiadenyigba-Gborxoxome-Korve Feeder Road, and the construction of the Ave-Dakpa Central Market. In the Ho Municipality, projects monitored included the Community-based Health Planning Systems (CHPS) Compound at Klefe Demetey, the upgrading of CK and Fiave area roads, the Ho Tarso Concrete Drains construction, and the Ho Leprosarium Flood Control Programme.
Findings from the monitoring revealed mixed results. While some projects were completed and had improved access and mobility for residents, others showed significant shortcomings, including visible structural defects, lack of accessibility features for persons with disabilities, absence of project signboards, limited stakeholder involvement in design and implementation, and unresolved technical design issues. For instance, the Ave-Dakpa Central Market was found to be completed but with noticeable defects, prompting market women managing the facility to call for renovation and improved accessibility.
The Ave Afiadenyigba-Gborxoxome-Korve Feeder Road improved transportation for residents, although the absence of a project signpost made it difficult to trace the contractor. In Ho, beneficiaries of the Tarso Concrete Drains project expressed dissatisfaction, citing the lack of safe access points to homes, while the Leprosarium Flood Control Project was noted to have a potential design flaw that could undermine its effectiveness during heavy rainfall.
The monitoring team also identified several challenges, including difficulty accessing project details and contractors, inadequate funding to visit all selected sites, and reluctance by some officials to share information due to the exercise coinciding with the 2024 general election period. Despite these challenges, the team recorded success stories such as the completion of the Ave-Dakpa Central Market, the upgrading of CK and Fiave area roads, and progress made on the Ho Tarso Concrete Drains.
Mr. Solomon Nankah, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of GACC, stated that the project monitoring focused on project identification, location verification, stakeholder engagement, implementation and structural integrity, impact and sustainability, and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). He emphasized that the exercise is focused on deepening accountability and the use of state funds towards giving value for money.
Ms. Suzzy Sogbaka, the Focal Person for LANet, Ho Chapter, mentioned that the outcome is to address corruption and non-compliance issues identified in extractives sector reports (oil and gas) with timelines for the monitoring exercise being Phase One: June 2022 - August 2023 and Phase Two: March 2024 - March 2025. She highlighted that LANet Chapter encountered monitoring challenges, including limiting access to information, reducing accountability, delaying the process, and hindering cooperation from local officials.
Mr. Mohammed Avona Akape, the Chief Director of Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), refuted claims that projects at certain stages were being awarded from a national level without recourse to the VRCC, clarifying that such instances are rare. He explained that, although the VRCC is not the project award authority, it is always responsible for monitoring and evaluation, with project awards documentation usually copied to the VRCC.
Participants recommended stronger collaboration between civil society and local authorities, greater involvement of communities in project design and contractor selection, and improved official recognition for monitoring teams through introduction letters or identification materials. They noted that citizen-led monitoring remains a crucial tool for strengthening transparency and accountability, ensuring that extractive sector revenues translate into tangible development outcomes for communities.