The government has been urged to increase the decentralization pace to give people popular participation in local government process. The Programmes Manager of ActionAid Ghana, Mr. Saani Yakubu, called on state actors and institutions to pull their resources and energies to bring about a positive change to the slow pace of the decentralization process, to improve governance and change the lives of people. Mr. Yakubu was addressing a three-day workshop on knowledge sharing and capacity building for civil society in Tamale on Thursday. According to him, decentralization is the pivotal point of development that involves a broad-based participation in governance, where the ordinary citizens could be the active decision makers rather than passive participants. Mr. Yakubu said ActionAid is collaborating with interested organizations in the country to promote good governance that would target women's inclusion for gender equity in the decentralization dispensation. The acting National Coordinator for Local Governance Network (LOGNet), Mr. Douglas Quartey, said decentralization is to connect directly to citizen's priorities and concerns, to promote popular participation. Mr. Abdul-Karim Ibrahim Afa-Zei, National Steering Committee Member of LOGNet, said efficient decentralization and good governance at all levels of the country's politics, were vital for the growth of Ghana's democracy. He noted that LOGNet targets the poor and women, to involve them in active participation in local governance in ensuring effective service delivery by local government authorities. Source: GNA