The Upper East Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Jimmy Carl-Rhule, said on Wednesday that Ghanaian citizens living across the borders might return on election day to vote. He, however, cautioned that the return of these people to the border-towns in Ghana where they might have registered as voters should not be misconstrued to mean foreigners are entering the country to vote.
Mr Carl-Rhule was addressing a two-day workshop under the theme "Economic and Business Promotion at the Local Level" at Bawku. It was organised by the Federation of Associations of Small-Scale Economic Operators (FASSEO) and sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German NGO.
Mr Carl-Rhule warned that such false information has the tendency to spark off violence, which could disrupt the peace in the country. He therefore called on the people to be wary of such rumours and ensure that peace prevails during and after the elections.
In a keynote address, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Dominic Akudago, observed that the noble objective of FASSEO to improve upon the economic wellbeing of its members was in conformity with the government's decentralisation policy.
He said the decentralisation policy embarked upon since 1988 alongside the district assembly concept aims at creating a democracy that would promote the development of the people.
"The usefulness of civil society as a partner, of which FASSEO is part, in facilitating the achievement of the desired results of the decentralisation process is therefore very crucial and indispensable," the DCE added.
Dr. King David Amoah, National President of FASSEO, briefed the participants on the benefits to be derived from the association and urged them to continue to collaborate with their district assemblies.
Mr Mumuni Isah, District Co-ordinator of FASSEO, expressed gratitude to KAF for sponsoring the workshop and asked participants to take active part in the activities of the association.
Sixty participants drawn from the Bawku East District Assembly and the various sector associations forming FASSEO attended the workshop.
These include the Association of Small-Scale Industries, Ghana Union Traders Association, Credit Union Association, the Ecumenical Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development and the Christian Mothers Association.
