Curtains dropped last Friday July 25, on a seminar organized by the National Community-driven Development Programme –PNDP to train Council Development Officers and Council Financial Officers, CFOs on their new method of work.

The five-day workshop was to ensure that the officials from the 34 councils of the North West Region get acquainted with their working environment.

With the recruitment of new CDOs and CFOs after last September's municipal elections, it was necessary for the new staff to be drilled on how to go about their duties.

It was against this backdrop that PNDP organized a five-day workshop to improve on the Capacities of CDOs and CFOs, educate them on the methodology and tools of PNDP as well as the functioning of the councils.

While opening the workshop the Regional Delegate for Planning and Regional Development Njeba Kenneth Karawa said CDOs and CFOs were put in place to help councils in the development projects and not to destabilizes councils.

He recalled that they are out to follow up and ensure the proper execution of the Council Development Plan-CDP.

He reminded participants that the government is doing all it take to foster decentralization as such it will not spear any person who wants to disrupt any decentralization program.

As such he called on the participants to put in their best to promote the development of their local government area.

In one of the presentations, the North West Regional Coordinator of PNDP Kanjo Bruno Daniel said before now PND have been working with 31 councils in the region but that from now on, all 34 councils will be involved.

He told participants that their role is to ensure the development of their council area and not to get in to competition with Mayors, Municipal treasures and Secretary General of councils.

He reminded them that they must follow up and evaluate projects in the CDP. He made reminiscent of the fact that the PNDP is out to accompany councils in the decentralization process.

He used the opportunity to announce that the 3rd phaseof the PNDP programme have been approved and that only qualified councils would benefit. As such he urged the councils to put in their best so as to be selected.