In an effort to engage diverse communities and gather input for the Manifesto Influencing Initiative, STAR-Ghana Foundation has organized four zonal town hall meetings across the country.
The gatherings were strategically planned to ensure representation from various regions and stakeholder groups, fostering an inclusive and collaborative approach to policy development.
The Manifesto Influencing initiative, a component of the Gender Rights and Empowerment Programme (GREP), commenced with zonal town hall meetings in Tamale, Wa, Ho, Kumasi, and Cape Coast,
The nationwide exercise provided a platform to solicit views and concerns of the citizenry around healthcare delivery, education, and social protection. These are to be discussed with the various political parties to incorporate them into their manifestos for the 2024 general elections.
Cape Coast
At the first town hall meeting held in Cape Coast, about 150 participants from the Central, Western and Western North regions, representing student groups, traditional leaders, civil society organizations (CSOs), traders, teachers and persons with disabilities presented their priorities to draw the attention of political parties.
The stakeholders advocated a cut-off point of entry into the Free Senior High School programme to compel students to learn, early provision of textbooks, teaching and learning materials, a second look at the School Feeding Programme, adequate infrastructure, and sufficient special schools for the deaf and blind.
Some of the major issues under health were provision of at least a well-equipped hospital in each region, improvement in the health insurance services and inadequate investment in doctors.
Dr. Ernestina Tetteh, Projects Manager at STAR-Ghana Foundation, underscored the importance of these discussions in informing policy direction. According to her, “programmes such as school feeding, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has to be improved to reflect the current economic conditions pertaining in the country.”
The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, in his presentation, underscored the need for political parties to make deliberate efforts at bridging the gap in education between the rural and urban communities, particularly at the basic level.
“And in being intentional in seeking to create a levelled playing field for basic education in rural areas, we must commit mire resources to rural to bring them to the level of the average urban school then we can begin to equally distribute resources,” he added.
The forum recommended bridging rural-urban educational disparities, improving healthcare infrastructure, and addressing issues of discrimination against Persons with Disabilities.
Ho
In Ho, issues bothering on training and utilizing health professionals, gaps in healthcare delivery and government’s implementation of livelihood programs dominated the discussions. Eunice Agbenyadzi, Head of Programmes at STAR-Ghana Foundation said “it is only when political party manifestos take into account the aspirations of the people that they would be more relevant to national development objectives.” Health consultant, Caeser Kaba Kogozigo for his part said critical areas which requires urgent attention are maternal mortality, proximity of health facilities transportation to the health facilities and cost as well as waiting time at the hospitals. Participants were drawn from the Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta and Oti regions.
Tamale
In Tamale, stakeholders from the Northern, Upper East, and North East regions congregated to discuss pressing matters affecting their communities. Eunice R Agbenyadzi, the Head of Programmes at STAR-Ghana Foundation, emphasized the pivotal role of citizen input in shaping political party manifestos.
“We do know that political party’s manifestos have become very important tools in setting policy direction and agenda for development for Ghana, we do understand that the issues that political parties want to focus on should be coming from the citizens and so the town hall meeting is to generate citizens’ issues that would be presented to the political parties for consideration as they draft their manifestos for the 2024 election” she said.
She noted that, manifestos were important document of political parties which stipulates the direction and commitment of the party in terms of policy. Executive Director for Songtaba, Hajia Lamnatu Adam said it is important for such a town hall meeting to bring citizens together to discuss issues of national interest that citizens want political parties to feature in their various manifestos.
Concerns raised encompassed education accessibility, healthcare quality, and social protection. Notably, stakeholders advocated for improved investment in education infrastructure to enhance learning environments, particularly addressing disparities between rural and urban areas.
Wa
Transitioning to Wa, the Foundation reinforced the necessity for citizens to voice their concerns and actively participate in influencing party manifestos. Facilitated by the Community Development Alliance, this gathering focused on empowering marginalized groups to contribute meaningfully to manifesto development. “Please, every avenue that you get, amplify your voice and speak about your demands because the more we talk about them the more serious they take them,” Mr Frank Amoateng, the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager of the Foundation, said.
Mr Amoateng said the inputs and recommendations collated on the discussion papers would feed into the development of policy briefs on the three areas, which would form the basis for citizen advocacy to influence party manifestos.
The fora seek to empower key stakeholders, especially women, youth, Persons with Disability (PWDs) and other marginalized groups in the Upper West and Savannah Regions to contribute to the development of comprehensive manifestos for the 2024 general election. It was also to create a platform for the stakeholders to co-create recommendations towards influencing the manifestos of political parties and candidates for elective office at constituency and national levels.
Presentations centred on health, education, and social protection, with an emphasis on accountability and the need for increased budgetary allocations to critical programs like the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Kumasi
Among other demands, stakeholders in the Ashanti Regional capital called on government to train beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) in employable skills as a change in paradigm. They also want implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to be relooked at to help strengthen and improve healthcare delivery. The pro-poor policy according to the participants is riddled with challenges and gaps in that affect critical health complications like diabetes and kidney related treatment. Participants from Bono, Bono-East, Ahafo and Ashanti regions gathered at the Adum Presby Hall where resource persons and staff of the Foundation presented key issues on education, health and social protection.
Throughout these consultations, stakeholders emphasized the imperative of citizen involvement in shaping manifestos and holding politicians accountable for their promises. The Foundation pledged to collate and present the outcomes to political parties' manifesto drafting committees, ensuring that citizen perspectives remain integral to Ghana's political landscape.
