Mr Eric Adu, the Ahafo Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has advised every Ghanaian to contribute to preserving the nation’s constitutional rule, as the country heads for the 2024 general elections.
With political tolerance, respect for religious diversity, faith and ethnicity the country could successfully sail through the next general election, he said.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Goaso, the Ahafo regional capital, Mr Adu said Election 2024 remained an indicator or a key index to measure the nation’s democratic strength and to consolidate the gains of her fledgling democracy based on the Fourth Republican Constitution.
He emphasized that religion and faith had gradually sunk into and taking centre stage in the Election 2024 campaigning, hence the need for people to remain watchful in ensuring that nobody hid behind religion and faith to disturb the peace of the nation.
“The flag-bearers of the two major political parties are affiliated to Islam and Christianity and that depicts the instrumental role religion and faith will play in the next general elections,” Mr Adu stated.
He emphasized that constitutional rule remained the best, and the surest to facilitate accelerated national development, hence the need for everybody to guard against tendencies that could mar the general election and disturb the prevailing peace and social cohesion in the country.
Touching on the Commission’s theme for 2024: “Together We Can Build Ghana, So Get Involved”, Mr Adu expressed worry about the rising rate of corruption in the country, which remained the bane of the nation’s economic development.
He said monetization of the nation’s politics did not only threaten the country’s multi-party democracy, but also denied the nation the right and competent people to assume political leadership and push forward holistic development.
As the 2024 general election approached, Mr Adu called on the electorate to name and shame politicians and political parties who would use monies and gifts to lure and win their votes.
He expressed concern about the inadequate funding and resources that the NCCE needed to undertake its constitutional and civic education mandate and called for support from corporate bodies and development partners.
Nonetheless, Mr. Adu said civic education remained a shared and collective responsibility and appealed to religious and civil society organisations to also take the lead role in sensitizing the public about their civic rights and responsibilities.
GNA