Let's eschew divisiveness - NCCE urges Ghanaians

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has entreated Ghanaians to uphold the Country’s unity and sustain its peace for national development.

Mrs Gloria Amarkai Kudo, NCCE Municipal Director, in the La Dadekotopon Municipality (LaDMA), who gave the advice, said Ghanaians should not allow themselves to be divided by ethnicity, political affiliations, or religious differences to erode the gains made over the years.

Speaking at a sensitisation event organised by the LaDMA NCCE at the Christ Apostolic Church International at La, in Accra on Sunday, to commemorate this year's Constitution Week, Mrs Kudo, said it was necessary that Ghanaians upheld provisions of the 1992 Constitution, as well as be guided by it as it was the document that bonded the country.

She said: "We must understand that we came together as people and drafted this Constitution for ourselves to guide us, therefore, we must continue to forge forward as one people irrespective of our differences."

The Constitution Week was instituted in 2001 to commemorate the country's return to constitutional rule and had since become one of the flagship programmes of the NCCE.

The week-long celebration, among other things aimed at orienting Ghanaians on the need to uphold values such as demand for accountability, respect for rule of law, and respect for human rights and enhance quality citizenship among the people for effective democratic participation.

It is also to sensitise the people on the need for national unity and peaceful co-existence and inculcate into the citizens the spirit of oneness and patriotism.

The theme for the 2021 celebration is, "We are One, Ghana First."

Mrs. Kudo called on the citizens to abreast themselves of the provisions of the Constitution to enable them to hold duty bearers to account, as well as perform their responsibilities as citizens to drive the nation forward.

“The Constitution guarantees us several fundamental rights which we must be accustomed to, to enable us to demand them from the State. It also shows us our duties we must perform to ensure the development of the country,” she reiterated.

To inculcate the spirit of nationalism in the youth, Mrs. Kudo said the Commission was working to ensure that civic education was part of the curriculum of schools at the pre-tertiary level.

"The NCCE is working on a draft for onward submission to Parliament that will demand that the Ghana Education Service allows Civic Education to be included in the schools' curriculum and be taught at schools," she said.

She added that in the meantime, it would continue to empower them by continuously engaging them through the various school clubs established in schools across the country.

The Municipal Director also urged the public to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to ensure that the country eradicated the disease.

The Commission has so far sensitised groups such as Trans-Tulip Car Rentals Association, New Vision Handicraft Association, Cane Weavers Association, Bethel Congregation, as well as some shop owners in the municipality.

The Constitution Week celebration is marked annually from April 28 to May 4.