NCCE holds Public Lecture at Koforidua Polytechnic

Koforidua, May 04, GNA - The Eastern Regional Directorate of the National Commission For Civic Education (NCCE) has held a public lecture as part of activities planned for the celebration of the 11th Annual Constitutional Week.

Mr Eric Bortey, Eastern Regional Director of the NCCE, speaking on the topic 93Are there Political Parties in Ghana," said all the political pa= rties in the country were behaving like mass movements or social clubs. He said building a political party was like building a house and that the house must have a strong foundation based on a philosophy. Mr Bortey said most political parties go into elections without manifestoes. "Even if they do, they end up on the tables of party executives. At the lower levels therefore, party members know next-to nothing about the manifesto of their party". On party supremacy, Mr Bortey said it meant that decisions taken by the party regarding its interest was supreme and second to none and should the party's interest clash with that of an individual or group, the party's interest supersedes. "However because the political parties are not properly built, individuals and groups do not even know, let alone appreciate and accept th= e supremacy of the party as a principle," Mr Bortey said. On party funding, Mr Bortey said in Ghana members of political parties did not pay dues and the parties are afraid to impose dues on their members lest they would lose members.

He said any political party worth its salt had to educate its members on party ideology, party manifesto, party manifesto principles, values and programmes adding that without education of party members they cannot work among the people let alone win non-party members into their fold. Mr Heman Sintim-Aboagye, Vice- Rector of the Koforidua Polytechnic, who chaired the function, advised the students not to allow themselves to b= e misled by politicians any longer. "When they come with the Tee Shirts and money to bus you for their rallies, question them about their policies and programmes," he said.