The Northern Women for Peace, a group of women traders in Northern Ghana, has expressed worry about the unguided utterances being made by some politicians on the campaign platform.
Madam Sara Ajara Musah, the President of the Group, expressed their concern
when the members called on Naa Dakpema Dawuni Alhassan, a Tamale Chief, at his palace in Tamale, to ask him to use his office to call politicians to order.
The women, ahead of the meeting with the chief, marched through some principal streets of the Tamale Metropolis to drum home the need for continued peace in the country during this year’s elections.
Madam Ajara said election to public office should not be about character assassination, inciting some people against others, using hate speech or indecent language, but a contest of ideas.
She said, “We all know that to every competition there are rules, so we are pleading with the presidential and parliamentary candidates and their supporters to play by the rules and accept the results, as announced or use the appropriate means to seek redress”.
She said there was the need to promote and sustain the peace of the country during this crucial election year, hence the call on all to embrace peace throughout the period..
Madam Ajara, therefore, pleaded with the Chief to remind politicians who visited him to uphold peace because “Persons with disabilities, the aged, women and children of Northern Region are scared of the eventualities before, during and after the December elections”.
She gave the assurance that: “We will continue to do our part by advising our husbands, children and colleagues to avoid tendencies that can degenerate into electoral violence”.
She entreated the security agencies, the Electoral Commission, the media and election observers to stick to the tenets of their professions and play their roles effectively to help consolidate the prevailing peace.
Naa Dakpema Alhassan lauded the initiative by the Women for Peace and urged all to respect the electoral process to ensure peaceful polls.