The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Upper East Region, has called on political parties and civil society organisations to spearhead peace before, during, and after the 2024 general elections.
Mr Omar Jafaru Alsadiq, the Bolgatanga Municipal Director said, though, political rallies were platforms for political parties to share their policies with the electorate; they were often used by party activists to belittle their opponents, which had tendency to undermine the peace being enjoyed and must be stopped.
“The violent extremists take advantage of places where there are conflicts, where people fight over social amenities or battle for leadership positions, and as a country, we must not create that space for them to destroy what we have built over the years,” he added.
The Director made the call when he addressed stakeholders, including political parties, religious leaders, and youth group leaders, among others, at an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) meeting in Bolgatanga.
The meeting, organised by the NCCE under the European Union-sponsored program dubbed “Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) in the Northern Regions of Ghana,” was held on the theme, “Together we can build Ghana, so get involved.”
It aimed at creating awareness about violent extremism and facilitating activities to engender security consciousness, social inclusiveness, community cohesion, and situational awareness among the citizenry to enhance peacebuilding for sustainable development.
Mr Mawuli Agbenu, the Upper East Regional Director of the NCCE, stated that monetisation and religious bigotry were counterproductive to the growth of the democratic fabric of the country and must be avoided by all the political parties for free, fair, and peaceful elections.
He emphasised that monetisation of the electoral process by political parties had the potential to subvert the true will of the people, which was against the tenets of the 1992 Constitution and must be avoided and discouraged at all costs.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Edward Yaw Asante, the Bolgatanga Municipal Crime Officer, who presented on “Violent Extremism and its inherent threat to our Nation-Ghana,” said the youth were the targets of the extremists due to their vulnerability and must be guided.
According to him, “where there is no peace, there is no development,” and the stakeholders must step up to chart a peace mechanism going into the 2024 election.
He assured that the security agencies were prepared to maintain law and order before, during, and after the elections.
Mr Abu-Baka Sadiq Abdul Rahman, Chairman of the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee, said his outfit was committed to championing peace going into the elections and urged all the stakeholders to give out their best in their quest to create an enabling environment.
Mr Worlanyo Mensah Tegah, the Deputy Upper East Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, reiterated that the Commission, as an independent body, remained transparent and would conduct free and fair elections.
