2018 National Constitution Week begins Saturday

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on Friday announced activities for the 2018 Annual Constitution Week, which starts from Saturday, April 28 to Friday, May 4.

It is on the theme; “Our Nation, Our Heritage: Consolidating Ghana’s Democratic Gains,” which would emphasise on transparency and accountability.

A statement signed by Mrs Joyce Afutu, the NCCE Director of Communication and Corporate Affairs, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday, said the 2018 Constitution Week activities sought to draw the attention of politicians, public servants, district and municipal assemblies.

Traditional authorities, youth groups, non-governmental and civil society organisations, business associations, political parties and the media would discuss the need to uphold critical values of governance, which include respect for the rule of law, demand for accountability and transparency, dedication to duty and civic participation in governance, especially at the local level.

“In our quest to helping sustain Ghana’s democracy, the general public, including security services, would be engaged on the significance of the 1992 Constitution as the supreme law of the land, which must be preserved, protected and defended even at the peril of our lives,” the statement said.

This year marks 25 years of uninterrupted constitutional rule under the Fourth Republic and the NCCE is, therefore, urging Ghanaians to consciously help consolidate the gains made so far in the country’s democratic journey by upholding the principles of public accountability.

In 2001, the NCCE, under its dynamic chairman, the late Ambassador Farhan Laary Bimi, adopted April 28, every year, to commemorate the day Ghanaians decided, through a referendum, to endorse and accept the 1992 Constitution as the fundamental law of the land.

The Commission’s Annual Constitution Week, therefore, serves as a reminder for Ghanaians to safeguard the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution.

Ghana can boast of over two decades of sustained constitutional rule and periodic elections, some of which saw peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another, a feat that remains envious in the democratic history of Ghana.

However, there are weak spots such as citizens’ low demand for accountability from duty bearers and low transparency in public office holders’ engagements with citizens.

Accountability is one of the principles in good democratic governance and the NCCE is convinced that public office holders and the general public can contribute to sustaining Ghana’s democracy by upholding the principle of public accountability as the bedrock of Ghana’s young democracy.