Back and Next - Back and NextRegional governors, others on ‘managing change’ training
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The department of state for Local Government and Lands (DoSLGL), through the central government and the Common Wealth Secretariat in London, has begun a three-day training for local government councillors and officials, on the theme: ‘Managing Change’ in the context of decentralisation.
Currently taking place at the Friendship Hotel in Bakau, the training brought together all regional governors, mayors, chairpersons of area councils, National Assembly members, senior officials of the department of state for Local Government and Lands, among other key stakeholders in the decentralisation and good governance process.
The three-day session intends to build requisite capacity at both national and local levels of government, to enhance effective decentralisation, and to adequately articulate the general understanding of the process as well as deepen public awareness on relevant issues of decentralisation and legislation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Omar G. Sallah, permanent secretary at the Personnel Management Office (PMO), thanked the resource persons and the facilitators for the program, recognising the efforts of the Common Wealth Secretariat for their invaluable assistance in the field of local government reform and administration. "As you know, public sector reform cannot be achieved without the participation of those authorities who occupied 90% of the sector. It is very essential that any reform that we undertake trickles down to the local authorities," said Sallah.
Munawwar Alam, adviser, Governance and Institutional Development division at the Common Wealth Secretariat in London, described governance as one of the strengths of the Common Wealth. The Common Wealth Secretariat, he said, aims to offer knowledge and assistance to its member states. "We work with member countries on the principles of governance, the organizational structures in which to put those principles into practice and the trained staff to do so," he highlighted.
He went on to remind the gathering on the roles and responsibilities councillors have to play in the democratization process of the country, saying that local government manages local affairs and its domain which encompasses virtually every problem and issue that citizens encounter in their daily lives.
"Now it is for you as councillors to contribute to the common good of the community during your time in office and beyond. Your legacy will be measured by your ability to solve complex community problems with governing principles, and your personal skills to bring about positive and significant challenges in the lives of your community members," he advised.
In his opening remarks, Alhagie Ismaila Sambou, secretary of state for Local Government and Lands, said the efficiency of municipal and area council administrations need to be improved upon in all local government authorities to help make them fully prepared for the challenges of the aspirations of the new dispensation.
According to him, good governance, among other things, is participatory, and it entails transparency and accountability. Good governance, SoS Sambou explains, ensures that political, social and economic priorities are based on a broad consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable are heard in decision making, over the allocation of resources for development.
He reminded the meeting that the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia guarantees participatory democracy that reflects the voice of the people, which, he observed is the first of its kind in the history of the country. He thanked the secretary general of the Common Wealth, on behalf of The Gambia government, for the support, urging participants to make the best use of the sessions and to put the knowledge gained into practice.
The ceremony was chaired by Abdoulie Manneh, permanent secretary at the department of state for Local Government and Lands. The session which is expected to be interactive, will be conducted alongside a series of presentations, and at the end of it, it is expected that the participants will carry out their roles and responsibilities for the development of their respective councils.
Currently taking place at the Friendship Hotel in Bakau, the training brought together all regional governors, mayors, chairpersons of area councils, National Assembly members, senior officials of the department of state for Local Government and Lands, among other key stakeholders in the decentralisation and good governance process.
The three-day session intends to build requisite capacity at both national and local levels of government, to enhance effective decentralisation, and to adequately articulate the general understanding of the process as well as deepen public awareness on relevant issues of decentralisation and legislation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Omar G. Sallah, permanent secretary at the Personnel Management Office (PMO), thanked the resource persons and the facilitators for the program, recognising the efforts of the Common Wealth Secretariat for their invaluable assistance in the field of local government reform and administration. "As you know, public sector reform cannot be achieved without the participation of those authorities who occupied 90% of the sector. It is very essential that any reform that we undertake trickles down to the local authorities," said Sallah.
Munawwar Alam, adviser, Governance and Institutional Development division at the Common Wealth Secretariat in London, described governance as one of the strengths of the Common Wealth. The Common Wealth Secretariat, he said, aims to offer knowledge and assistance to its member states. "We work with member countries on the principles of governance, the organizational structures in which to put those principles into practice and the trained staff to do so," he highlighted.
He went on to remind the gathering on the roles and responsibilities councillors have to play in the democratization process of the country, saying that local government manages local affairs and its domain which encompasses virtually every problem and issue that citizens encounter in their daily lives.
"Now it is for you as councillors to contribute to the common good of the community during your time in office and beyond. Your legacy will be measured by your ability to solve complex community problems with governing principles, and your personal skills to bring about positive and significant challenges in the lives of your community members," he advised.
In his opening remarks, Alhagie Ismaila Sambou, secretary of state for Local Government and Lands, said the efficiency of municipal and area council administrations need to be improved upon in all local government authorities to help make them fully prepared for the challenges of the aspirations of the new dispensation.
According to him, good governance, among other things, is participatory, and it entails transparency and accountability. Good governance, SoS Sambou explains, ensures that political, social and economic priorities are based on a broad consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable are heard in decision making, over the allocation of resources for development.
He reminded the meeting that the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia guarantees participatory democracy that reflects the voice of the people, which, he observed is the first of its kind in the history of the country. He thanked the secretary general of the Common Wealth, on behalf of The Gambia government, for the support, urging participants to make the best use of the sessions and to put the knowledge gained into practice.
The ceremony was chaired by Abdoulie Manneh, permanent secretary at the department of state for Local Government and Lands. The session which is expected to be interactive, will be conducted alongside a series of presentations, and at the end of it, it is expected that the participants will carry out their roles and responsibilities for the development of their respective councils.
Author: by Musa Ndow
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