EC has overshadowed NCCE in its operations – APC

The General Secretary of the All People’s Congress(APC), Razak Poku says the the National Commission for Civic Education(NCCE) has no autonomy to work efficiently as a state institution vis a vis the promotion of the civic rights and responsibilities of citizens.

Razak said the NCCE is critically shadowed by the Electoral Commission(EC) in relation to the work of promoting the electoral process in the country, but said there should rather be a collaboration between the two institutions in areas of the Civic rights and responsibilities of Ghanaians.

Speaking on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM Thursday Razak said: “under the constitution NCCE owes it a duty to educate electorates on how to vote and educate Ghanaians on the laws governing our multi- party democracy.”

He claimed even with Budget for the operations, the NCCE is always an afterthought as all the resources normally goes to the EC to the disadvantage of the NCCE.

“The building that the EC is occupying is meant for the NCCE. How do we expect them to operate well” Razak Poku queried.

For him, the common mistakes that happened in their case with regards to the errors in their nomination was largely because the NCCE didn’t do a good job.

He argued that most people are not even aware of the existence of the Political Parties Law, Act 574 and the CI 94 hence the reason why these problems are emerging.

The flagbearer of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga has blamed the NCCE for his disqualification from the 2016 general elections.

The Electoral Commission disqualified Ayariga because some persons who subscribed to his candidature endorsed other candidates in the race.

But Ayariga said the NCCE failed in its duties to educate electorates adequately hence the mistakes on the nomination forms.

The APC has dragged the EC to court challenging their disqualification by the commission.

Meanwhile the court has set October 31, 2016 for the case to be heard.