Let's demand accountability from government - Bimi

Accra, April 29, GNA - Mr. Larry Bimi, Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), on Wednesday urged Ghanaians to be actively involved in the democratic process by demanding accountability from government.

"Participating in the democratic process does not only mean voting, but also being able to exercise certain rights and responsibilities," he said.

He noted that it was up to all citizens to fight for freedom since freedom was very important in a democratic country.

Mr Bimi was speaking at a lecture to mark the 9th Annual Constitution Week on the topic: "The Challenges of Building a Culture of Effective Citizens' Participation in a Democracy."

He pointed out that, "the judiciary was there to defend our freedom as citizens of Ghana and therefore urged Ghanaians to be proactive and probing to ensure that the right thing was done.

"When we finish voting, we go to sleep, laws are made we don't complain;

we all sit back sometimes unconcerned." He added that, there was the need for the citizenry to support the President but more importantly to be truthful in criticism and do things in the national interest.

He said: "Now I do not know what Ghana's national interest is, it is as if we do not have a national interest because if you cough in a certain way you are tagged NPP and if you laugh in a certain way you are tagged NDC."

Mr Bimi also noted that our society was so corrupt and what every individual could do to help the country was to fully participate in the democratic process demanding accountability from government officials.

He also expressed concern about the role of the NCCE and said the organization had been ignored and so efforts to help educate people about their civic responsibilities and rights were not easy. Prof. Kwame Ninsin of the Institute of Democratic and Economic Governance who led discussions on how effectively citizens could participate in governance said our society sometimes responded to issues in a negative way through demonstrations and violent threats which did not solve the problems.

He advised that concerned governance were addressed in a more civil way that would encourage and stimulate dialogue and in the end bring peace.