The Chief of Mowire in the Afigya Kwabre South District of the Ashanti Region, Nana Gyamfi Kumanin Sarpong, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to prioritise grassroots public engagement and accountability, describing them as the blueprint for effective local governance.

Nana Sarpong made the call while commending the Afigya Kwabre South District Chief Executive (DCE), Patricia Pearl Ankrah, who recently launched a week-long public engagement and accountability tour across the district.

The mid-term initiative, held 18 months into the current government's tenure, was aimed at promoting transparency, strengthening citizen engagement, and providing residents with direct updates on major ongoing and completed development projects.

Speaking during the tour's stop in Mowire, Nana Sarpong said that if all MMDCEs adopted similar grassroots initiatives, citizens would be better informed about development projects taking place in their respective communities.

He emphasised that although Mowire had not yet received its full share of development, the town hall-style meeting provided an important platform for residents to communicate their most pressing needs directly to the district leadership.

Describing the accountability tour as both timely and necessary, the Chief urged other local leaders across the country to emulate Mrs Ankrah's proactive approach.

During the interactive session, Nana Sarpong appealed to the DCE to urgently address Mowire's dusty road network, highlighting its adverse impact on local economic activities and the growing health concerns facing residents.

In response, Patricia Pearl Ankrah assured the Chief and the community that the Mowire road forms part of a wider district road project that has already been awarded to contractors.

She explained that physical work had been temporarily delayed due to outstanding legal issues.

However, the DCE assured residents that the Assembly is actively working to resolve the bottlenecks to enable contractors to resume work on the road as soon as possible.