NCCE, Small Arms Commission and National Peace Council in flashpoint areas

By Alhaji Alhasan Abdulai

In fulfillment of its role under the 1992 constitution, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has moved to conflict flashpoints of the country to ensure calm especially in this election year. To be able to achieve its aim, the NCCE has begun moving from various towns from north to southern Ghana together with the Small Arms Commission and National Peace Council to hold meetings with a cross section of the people. The communities the team is visiting include Alavanyo Kpeme and Nkonya Ahenkro in the Volta Region; Tamale, Bunkpurugu and Yendi in the Northern Region; Akwatia in the Eastern Region; Bolgatanga and Bawku in the Upper East Region; Kukuom in the Brong-Ahafo Region; Nandom in the Upper West Region and Old Tafo in the Ashanti Region. The towns mentioned are security flashpoints noted for ethnic chieftaincy and religious conflicts that have resulted in the deaths and injuries to many people and the destruction of cars, houses and other properties. Information reaching us from the head of the team from the NCCE, Mr. Samuel Akuamoah who is also Deputy Director of NCCE indicates that their meetings with chiefs, youth groups and security men have been successful so far. According to him they were well received in all the areas they visited especially in the difficult conflict areas where in the past some visitors were chased out by rampaging youths. The move by the NCCE and its collaborators is appropriate for many reasons. The activities of the commission are expected to help minimize conflicts in flashpoint areas to create the necessary peaceful environment for democratic governance to thrive.

Peace is seen as a necessary basis for active participation of the entire citizenry in the democratic process. Conflict and the absence of peace therefore limit the ability of citizens who live in these areas to exercise their democratic rights as well as go about their day-to-day activities peacefully.

It is hoped that The activities will bring together stakeholders on conflict resolution towards national peace, improved unity and harmony in the beneficiary communities. It will target flashpoint areas and emerging or potential trouble spots across the country to stem the tide of any potential violent conflict or its recurrence

This year is an election year during which all the political parties including National Democratic Congress (NDC) New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention Peoples Party (CPP), People National Convention (PNC) and the rest, would embark on campaigns across the country. Undoubtedly these parties would engage our youths to move from one community to the other to campaign for them. It is the desire of all well meaning Ghanaians that the campaign would be organized in peacefully. My advice to the NCCE and its team is that they should counsel the youth to desist from joining political groups that would lead them astray to use guns cutlasses to attack political opponents during campaigns as happened in the past. In the sensitization exercise our chiefs, religious, parents and opinion leaders must be brought in to advise the youths to embark on clean campaigns while they turn their attention to the pursuit of knowledge and trades that would be beneficial to themselves and the nation.

Ghana is known as an oasis of peace in a sub-region. However due to activities of some power seeking people, over the last one and half decades, the nation is tilting more towards violent civil conflicts than democracy and development. Behind this smokescreen of stability, have been various forms of local conflicts some of which have turned violent. Indeed some of these violent local conflicts that involve chieftaincy and land disputes which preceded independence and are fast assuming dangerous partisan dimension. Although the sensitization program by the NCCE is appropriate it is advisable for the people of this country young and old men and women to adhere to tolerance and fellow feeling in all that we do. Instead of taking the law in our hands we must resort to the use of consultation and the use of the law courts to seek redress to our grievances.

While the sensitization goes on with the support of the European union , the security system that include the police service should intensify their monitoring of the flashpoint areas in the country relying on intelligence to and deal with upheavals before they degenerate into intractable conflicts.

Beside the huge economic implications to the nation, communal violence especially during election years has the potential to throw the country into turmoil. God forbid. While commending the NCCE the National Peace Council and the Small Arms Commission for their nationalistic initiative, the political parties who are main stakeholders must also play their parts by education their youth to comport themselves by staying clear from conflicts from now till the elections day on November 7

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By Alhaji Alhasan Abdulai

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

EANFOWORLD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

0244 370345/ 0274853710/0208844791

abdulai.alhasan@gmail.com/eanfoworld@yahoo.com