A number of initiatives have been unveiled by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to address issues related to religion and ethnicity that may jeopardize the country’s democracy.
In order to reach political actors in communities and localities, the measures include holding political parties directly accountable for their actions and outbursts, educating the public about their rights and responsibilities, and collaborating with opinion leaders and traditional rulers.
Religion and ethnicity have emerged as two topics that have the potential to divide the country as political campaigns heat up for the general election of 2024, according to commission chair Kathleen Addy.
She said that these kinds of problems had to be stopped early to prevent worsening.
This was stated by Ms. Addy when she led a commission team to visit with Theophilus Yartey, Editor, Graphic, at the Graphic Communications Group Ltd. headquarters in Accra.
In order to help solidify the country’s democratic gains and peace, she said the commission had started stakeholder engagements with individuals and groups, particularly politicians and political parties. The goal was to remove divisive messaging from the campaign platform.
According to her, the purpose of the visit was to strengthen the already-existing relationship between the two organizations and ask for GCGL’s support in its work.
“We now find ourselves discussing religious tolerance in the context of politics.
That is a problem that is right in front of us since, when it comes to attitudes and orientation, it is crucial that people coexist peacefully and give each other space.
“We have seen some politicians attempt to divide people on the basis of religion already, and we at NCCE are committed to ensuring that those attempts to divide the people do not happen in the run-up to the 2024 elections”.
Ms Addy said the role of the NCCE was to educate the citizens on their civic duties and responsibilities to ensure that everybody understood and accepted the 1992 Constitution, and remained committed to defending it.
“Our job is to build the citizens with the right mindset, the right orientation, right values; we expect them to then work together to build the country so that we can achieve our idealised vision of Ghana, economic growth, development and opportunity for everybody.
That is the purpose of the commission,” the NCCE Chairperson said.
Aside from the civic and voter education, as well as highlighting the rights and responsibilities of the citizenry, Ms Addy said the commission was currently working on the security threats by creating awareness in border communities of violent extremism following the insurgence of terrorist groups in the sub-region.
That, she said, was being implemented in eight regions, namely Northern, North East, Savanna, Upper East, Upper West, Bono, Bono East and Oti.
She said the commission had been working with traditional and religious leaders, security staff and local people, including assembly members, in order to carry out impactful civic education in communities across the country, adding that in every district that relationship existed.
She commended the Daily Graphic for remaining professional in the discharge of its duties.
The Editor, Graphic pledged the support of the company to help sustain the peace and democracy in the country.
He said there could only be accelerated development in the country in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.
“We will work with you and support you.
As I said, we are 73 years old, and there are things we believe in.
We believe in truth and accuracy every day, which is our mantra, with honesty being one of our core values,” he said.
Mr Yartey said the flagship publication, Daily Graphic, would continue to chart the path of development for the country.
Ms Addy was on the visit with her two deputies in charge of Operations, and Finance and Administration, Samuel A. Akuamoah and Victor K. Brobbey, respectively.
Other members of her team were the Ag. Commission Secretary and Right To Information (RTI) Officer, Lucille Hewlett Annan; the Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Joyce Benedicta Afutu; the Director of Administration, Dora Hammond; the Director of Research, Dr Henrietta Asante-Sarpong; the Director of Finance, Monica Mamattah, and the Director of Programmes, Dr Imurana Mohammed.
SOURCE: Graphicsonline
