The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has encouraged residents of Lekpongunuor in the Ningo-Prampram District to initiate self-help projects to enhance their socio-economic well-being.

Mr Oppong Mensah, Ningo-Prampram District Director of NCCE, gave the advice on Monday, when his outfit engaged the community under its Social Auditing programme.

Mr Mensah reminded the residents that due to the limited resources available to government and the district assembly, it was practically impossible to provide all the needed social projects at once.

He said another way for communities to get the needed amenities was for them to engage in self-help projects to augment what the central and local governments provided.

He added that the public must also own projects being implemented in their communities, to ensure they received quality projects as well as meeting their pressing needs, instead of what external policy makers deemed fit for them.

“If we do not take development in our own hands but leave it solely to our leaders, we will be the ones lagging behind, ”he stated.

The NCCE Ningo-Prampram Director said under the Social Auditing Programme, which was sponsored by the European Union, his outfit encouraged residents of an identified community to make a list of all their needs, picked the most pressing ones among them, and took steps towards their implementation.

He added that residents must also hold duty bearers accountable by asking questions pertaining to project sums, duration of work, quality of a project, among others.

Madam Lucille Hewlett Annan, Greater Accra Regional Director of NCCE, who inaugurated a committee to see to the expansion of the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound, as well as the provision of its urgent needs, charged residents to fully participate in the community’s self-help projects.

Madam Annan encouraged all residents to contribute either cash or in kind towards the needs provisions of the compound saying “you may not benefit but remember that your daughter, grandchild, friend or relative may be in need of the beds you will help to provide”.

She also charged the committee to commit fully to the task of providing the CHPS compound with additional beds to attend to patients who might need admission for medical care.

Community leaders and stakeholders present at the programme identified some needs, including the upgrading of the CHPS compound, toilet facility and a school building.