Ada West: NCCE holds Inter-Party Dialogue Meeting

The Deputy Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in charge of Finance and Administration, Madam Kathleen Addy, has urged Ghanaians to resist politics of conflict as politicians and their followers forge ahead in a common pursuit of peace and love.

She emphasized the need for political parties to continuously educate and sensitize their supporters on the importance of peace and tolerance which according to her would go a long way to curb the growing political violence threatening the peace, unity and stability of the country.

Madam Kathleen Addy said this at an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee meeting (IPDC) organised by the Ada West District office of the NCCE in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security at Sege in the Greater Accra region.

The meeting was aimed at reigniting dialogue among political parties and other stakeholders on the collective responsibility of ensuring peaceful co-existence as a cornerstone of nation building.

Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education, NCCE, in charge of Finance and Administration, Madam Kathleen Addy encouraged politicians to avoid utterances likely to trigger conflicts while making character and development assessment key factors.

She expressed concern over the animosity, intolerance and insults which had characterized the political landscape, saying it is time for the citizenry adopted political tolerance.

“Let us embrace peace with all seriousness, for without peace the needed social amenities to help better our lot cannot be executed, let us see ourselves as one people with a common destiny to develop and we should not allow partisan politics divide us,” She added.

Madam Kathleen Addy also cautioned Ghanaians against the use of social media including WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, among others for insults. This she noted can cause conflict and one can be held reliable for such an offence as it is a criminal act.

She asked social media users to refrain from recording hate speeches, insults and fake news, post them on the social media only to create confusion, feud among parties, insecurity in peaceful communities and unnecessary attacks on innocent persons.

According to Madam Kathleen Addy, if people who use the social media will consider the judicious use of the internet, there would be total peace and development adding that, social media can be used to acquire knowledge and skills in certain professions and making money out of it.

On her part, the Greater Accra regional Director of the NCCE, Mrs. Lucille Hewlett-Annan, underscored the importance for the Ghanaians to do away with the activities of vigilantism and their notorious activities in the society.

“Vigilantism is when some groups of people are put together to intimidate others especially people from the opposite political party.

“If you form a vigilante group and you are caught, you will spend a closer to 10 or 15 years in jail. If you also join since you didn’t form it or you sponsor them. The vigilante law is like an octopus, wherever, you pass, it will arrest you.” She added.

She urged participants to eschew secessionists’ movements and their related consequences and rather embrace national cohesion and inclusive participation in governance.

Mrs. Hewlett-Annan, stated that to achieve national cohesion, participants need to preserve, protect and defend the lives, interests, territories and possessions of citizens, adding that; our national values for justice, equality, inclusion, tolerance, fundamental human rights and freedoms as stipulated by the 1992 constitution, eschew all forms of discrimination.

The Ada west District Director of the NCCE, Philemon Boni, stated that some parts of the country have experienced secessionist activities and has threaten the peace of the country.

He admonished Ghanaians to stay away from acts of violence which had the tendency to disrupt the peace and unity of the country and the Police administration would not spare anyone who would foment trouble.

By Paul Mamattah