World Bank Awards STAR Ghana’s programme manager for Leadership in Social Accountability for the Africa Region
Monday April 20, 2015
The Programme Manager of STAR-Ghana, Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, has been selected to receive the World Bank’s GPSA Award for Leadership in Social Accountability for the Africa Region. According to the letter announcing the award signed by Andres Falconer of the Global Partnership for Social Accountability, the award is a , “a recognition of his role as a champion of social accountability as a means for a more equitably society”.
Describing his feelings about the award in an interview with Rite FM, Mr. Ibrahim Tanko acknowledged that though he feels very happy about the award, he owes it to the team at STAR Ghana that has helped him win it. He however admitted that this award is a challenge for him as it has set a new standard. A standard that he has to maintain or improve upon.
He added that the Global Partership for Social Accountability is a World Bank initiated program that seeks to support countries undertake initiatives to promote social accountability that enable citizens to demand answers and hold duty bearers accountable.
Six Award winners are announced annually, each representing a geographic region: Africa, East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.
According to Mr. Amidu, “ ‘This award recognizes the work of the teams I have worked with over the years to pilot and implement actions aimed at enabling citizens hold government at all levels accountable for the provision of quality public goods and services. At a personal level, I feel challenged to build on this achievement. I hope it will inspire others to aim for excellence in everything they do. Ultimately the best award of course is to see that all citizens of Ghana have access to quality public services that will enable them fulfil their potentials”.
Mr. Amidu has over 20 years of experience as a development practitioner, developing and implementing developing actions at all levels of governance. Prior to his appointment as the Team Leader of STAR-Ghana, he was the Country Director of VSO International. He has also worked with CARE International in Ghana and the Ghanaian Danish Community Programme in northern Ghana.
The award will be presented at an official ceremony on May 12, 2015 at GPSA Global Partners Forum, in Washington DC.
