By Buertey Francis BORYOR
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in collaboration with UPSA Parliament, has held a dialogue with other key stakeholders in the electoral process for peaceful elections in Accra, titled ‘Securing Ghana’s Democracy through Inclusive Dialogue’.
The event, themed ‘Let’s Build Ghana Together, Get Involved’, aimed to emphasise the crucial need for peace in the country’s upcoming 2024 General Elections.
The Director of NCCE, Mawuli Agbenu, while addressing the topic ‘Ensuring the Integrity of Ghana’s Elections: A Collective Responsibility’ at the event, said the consequences of electoral violence are long-lasting, particularly for the youth and future generations who may face an uncertain future and loss of opportunities.
“While peace builds and restores, violence destroys in ways that cannot be undone. Peace secures the future and destinies of generations. Peace promotes unity and cohesion among citizens. Conversely, electoral violence results in destruction of lives, property and futures,” he elaborated.
Also, he said that although political competition is inevitable, it should never come at the cost of national unity or stability.
“Whether as winners or losers, the overarching goal is to ensure that the nation remains intact, united and peaceful. Let us all commit to ensuring that the 2024 elections are free, fair, transparent and peaceful. Our future, the future of our children and the stability of our nation depend on it,” he said.
To ensure a peaceful electoral process in the country, Mr. Agbenu highlighted the following key building blocks.
First and foremost, he stressed that the EC must be adequately resourced and function independently to ensure credible elections. He added that media houses must ensure that their platforms promote peace, not division. “Hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric, disinformation and misinformation should be avoided.”
Also, he said political discourse should be focused on ideas and policies, not character assassination or incitement to violence; and campaigns must be based on credibility, integrity and the well-being of the citizens.
Furthermore, he urged the country’s security forces to remain impartial and act decisively against those who break the law or incite violence. “A robust and visible security presence is necessary to maintain law and order, especially in volatile areas,” he added
Moreover, he encouraged the NCCE to continue its vital work in educating citizens about their rights and responsibilities, promoting dialogue and fostering a culture of tolerance and constitutionalism.
“All Ghanaians, especially the registered voters must be more discerning and well alert to scrutinise the messages from the various candidates in order to make informed and right decisions when exercising their franchise on the day of the elections,” Mr. Agbenu added.
Meanwhile, the Governance Africa Foundation (GAF), in a speech read on its behalf by its representative at the event, said the foundation is not only committed to supporting mentorship initiatives, but is also leveraging the expertise of its esteemed leaders.
“We are committed to leveraging the expertise of our foundation’s leaders like our Board Chairman, Professor Pikay Richardson – an international icon in corporate governance and nation-building.
“Through this, GAF aims to inspire the next generation of leaders to embrace their role with purpose and passion, knowing that their efforts today will shape the country’s future,” the representative noted.
As part of its advocacy, the foundation also highlighted that it places strong focus on youth development, particularly in the area of agribusiness, while empowering young people to become leaders in modern, commercially viable enterprises.
To achieve this, GAF said: “We are currently collaborating with international partners, such as Hunland Trade Kft, to expose Ghanaian youth to innovative practices, equipping them with skills and knowledge for global competitiveness.
“We are also proud to be part of the introduction of the new T-shirts for Civic Clubs, which will serve as a symbol of unity and a catalyst for greater institutional engagement. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our media partner B&FT and sponsors Imperial Diam, C. Woermann, JK Horgle and others.”
Furthermore, the foundation urged collaboration to secure a peaceful, inclusive and progressive democracy for the country.
About GAF
Governance Africa Foundation (GAF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting good governance, civic education and sustainable development across Ghana and Africa. For over 19 years, it has been working in partnership with NCCE, championing good governance and promoting democratic principles and civic awareness across the country, among other things.
The event also saw the launch ceremony of the T-shirts for the nationwide Civic Clubs in schools by the UPSA Parliament, in collaboration with the NCCE and GAF. Additionally, it witnessed the swearing in of new executives of UPSA Parliament into office. Furthermore it featured a stakeholder panel discussion session on election 2024.
