GHANAIANS MUST PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE — NCCE (PAGE 13, MAY 12, 2010)

The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Michael Amponsah, has appealed to Ghanaians to participate in local governance, especially in the upcoming district assembly elections.
He said the apathetic attitude of a section of the citizenry towards matters affecting themselves and the state was a serious setback in the consolidation of the country’s democracy and achievement of good governance.
He has, therefore, urged Ghanaians to get involved in the decision-making process, especially at the local government level.
Mr Amponsah said this when he addressed a forum at Wamfie in the Dormaa East District of the Brong Ahafo Region, as part of activities that marked the 10th Annual Constitution Week Celebration organised by the NCCE.
The theme for the celebration was: ‘‘Enhancing Constitutionalism through Effective Citizens’ Participation for Good Governance’’.
He emphasised that the active participation of citizens at the district assembly, town/area council and unit committee levels would promote a vibrant civil society, transparency, accountability, predictability and consequently help in poverty reduction, which had been a canker in the rural communities.
Nana Ampaabeng Kyeremeh, the Gyasehene of Dormaa Akwamu, advised Ghanaians to be law-abiding and live by the principles of the 1992 Constitution, adding that the local government system should be devoid of partisan politics.
He also urged the NCCE and all other public education organisations to intensify civic education in the rural areas so as to reduce unnecessary tension, intolerance and suspicion, since those elements undermined development in rural communities.
In his welcoming remarks, Mr Emmanuel Hinneh, the District Director of the NCCE, encouraged Ghanaians to defend the constitution at all times and explained that, the NCCE in its bid to meet its constitutional mandate, had formulated programmes such as the Constitution Week, Project Citizen, Constitution Game and Civic Education Clubs, all aimed at inculcating in Ghanaians, civic virtues that would make them effective and good citizens.
The Deputy Regional Director of the Commission and other resource persons addressed a similar forum organised by the NCCE at the Sunyani Municipal Assembly Hall.