NCCE gets double budgetary allocations

The Akufo-Addo led New Patriotic Party government says it is committed to ensure that the National Commission for Civic Education fulfills its constitutional mandate and has therefore for the first time in many years, increased allocation to the institution to more than double what it received last year.

The Akufo-Addo led New Patriotic Party government says it is committed to ensure that the National Commission for Civic Education fulfills its constitutional mandate and has therefore for the first time in many years, increased allocation to the institution to more than double what it received last year.

The NCCE had come under intense public criticism for failing to deliver on its civic education mandate of sensitizing Ghanaians on their rights and responsibilities.

However, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, speaking at the 2017 National Dialogue on the theme: “Restoring the Ghana Identity: Our Value, Our Passion”, organized by the NCCE in Accra yesterday, observed that the situation would be a thing of the past because government is committed to providing the logistics and funds required for the Commission to do its work.

He indicated that the country “seem to doubt our ability to rise and build our country and this self-doubt is corroding our potentials” adding that in order to reverse the trend, President Nana Akufo-Addo, in his inaugural speech “exalted us to embrace true citizenship and not to be mere spectators in national affairs.”

“The President is committed to reinvigorating patriotism and nationalism among Ghanaians and to lead us in the rebuilding of our country, based on the right values of discipline, integrity, tolerance, and respect for the rule of law,” he explained.

Dr Bawumia mentioned that the dialogue is coming at the right time when the Ghanaian value is being questioned.

“We are at a point in our country where we have witnessed the normalization of negative traits like extreme corruption, greed, dishonesty, violent crimes, indiscipline, disrespect and selfishness in everyday life. Lack of critical thinking and apathy to civic responsibility has led to a loss of self-confidence and acceptance of mediocrity,” he said.

The Vice President stressed that government understood the role of the NCCE in getting the nation to commit to Ghanaian values and work as one people to immerse them in national and personal lives, adding that these values were universal and central to “forging nationhood and building great civilization.”

It is in light of this that “For the first time in many years government has increased the allocation to the NCCE to more than double what the institution received last year. For the first time in many years the NCCE has also received an allocation for capital expenditure to support their work in this country,” he stated.

“This demonstrates government’s commitment to support the NCCE in fulfilling its constitutional mandate. We will do all in our power to ensure that the institutions noble goals are achieved,” he emphasized.

Dr Bawumia noted that Ghanaians were looking up to the NCCE to lead the charge in restoring good values into the society because “without good values our aspirations for socio-economic excellence will be threatened and we may never attain our full potential as a people.”

He implored Ghanaians to be “cooperative with the NCCE and join the movement for restoring good values they have started today.”

For her part, the Chairperson of the NCCE, Josephine Nkrumah, said the Commission shared in concerns of Ghanaians in terms of its fallen values that have caused a shift in the country’s identity.

“I believe in the Ghana where the rule of law works, a Ghana where its citizens have utmost respect and confidence in our institutions. I believe in honesty and integrity, I believe in hard work, discipline and a peace loving Ghanaian society,” she said.

“We must systematically, purposefully and deliberately work to imbibe on re-igniting this value particularly in our youth.”

She further advocated for the adoption of civic education in the curriculum of the Ghana Education Service for schools.

Josephine Nkrumah called on the corporate society to collaborate with the NCCE because they stand to benefit more from the society.

The former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Professor Stephen Adei, who was also at the programme had earlier called for the introduction of civic education in Ghanaian basic schools.

He said this would enable the country to inculcate good values and inculcate the culture of national identity in young Ghanaians adding that it was only through civic education that the country could maintain its values and create in its citizens a sense of national identity.

Also at the program were Professor Ama Atta Aidoo- celebrated writer, K. B. Asante- senior statesman and Justice V.C.R.A Crabbe- professor of law.

The National Dialogue forms part of a nationwide celebration of this year’s Constitution Week which takes place in the month of May, but launched every April 28. Its aim is to educate the public on the country’s constitution, and the rights and responsibilities that accompanies one’s status as a citizen.