Encourage African countries to accede to peer review, says Chief

Elmina, Feb 08, GNA - Nana Kwebu Ewusi VII, the Omanhene of the Abease Traditional Area, on Tuesday expressed the hope that the 23 African countries that have acceded to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) would help ensure its success to encourage more countries to accept the mechanism.

He said this would ensure that the continent moved forward into a "world of good governance, and democratic values and leave behind the current legacy and reality of wars, civic unrest and instability".

Nana Ewusi made the call at a forum organised by the Central Regional secretariat of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to launch the celebration of 'APRM week', at Elmina. The week, which is being celebrated under the theme " APRM: towards Africa's growth and prosperity through good governance", is aimed at enhancing education on the APRM, especially among the youth.

He lauded the fact Ghana was the first country to volunteer to accede to the APRM that is geared towards ensuring the achievement of the goals of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The APRM is to serve as a check in ensuring among others, poverty and diseases eradication, good governance and fundamental human rights. Nana Ewusi called on the government to continue to educate the citizenry about the process.

Dr Raymond Osei, the head of the Department of Classics and Philosophy at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) who launched the week, stressed the importance of the APRM in accelerating development. He said in order to make the process as open, transparent and as participatory as possible, stakeholders, including civil society organisations, trade unions, market women associations and traditional rulers, should be involved in the process.

Mr Frank Adoba, the Regional Director of the NCCE, said the youth had a major role to play in the sustenance of democracy, good governance and the rule of law.

He called for a pragmatic and sustainable youth programme to enable them contribute their quota towards their achievement and cautioned that in the absence of such a programme, the nation's aspirations for good governance, and economic growth, "will be a mirage".