Former President John Dramani Mahama has stated that the continuous engagement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is needed and essential to improving the quality of governance in the country.

He called for broader civil society engagements and admonished the government to consider the inputs of these organizations in the development process of the country.

Speaking at an event to engage Civil Society Organizations in Accra, Mr. Dramani Mahama said the “Ghana We Want” agenda can easily be attained if policymakers consider the opinions and considerations of CSOs.

He expressed and lauded the transition CSOs have undergone from being confrontational to conversational entities, which are needed to develop the nation.

“There is currently a shift away from aggressive confrontations to constructive, civil conversations. Normally, the engagements were confrontational with Government, but now it is more of a civil conversation, and they have also enhanced their relevance with new capacities in terms of research and data analysis, thereby serving as storehouses for alternative policy ideas.”

“We in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) hold the view that civic engagements positively sharpen policy processes by helping to inject fresh breath into policy delivery, ideas, perspectives, and experiences from persons who otherwise are outside the official channel of policymaking.”

“The capacity of our country’s CSOs to demonstrate their relentless and readiness to promote good governance and equitable distribution of resources as well as efficient service delivery has never been in doubt. Transparency and candidness with key stakeholders when it comes to national development, Civil Society and private sector, academia, labour, and the citizens, in general, is imperative in this regard,” he added.