Mixed reactions of Shama residents on relevance of Constitution Day

A cross-section of residents in the Shama District of the Western Region have expressed varied views on the relevance of celebrating the Constitution Day in Ghana.

The Constitution Day, which is designated as a public holiday to mark the coming into effect of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and the birth of the Fourth Republic, was first observed in 2019.

Speaking in an interview with Ghana News Agency, the people indicated that awareness on the Day was low as most Ghanaians were not aware of it as a public holiday and its benefits to the country.

Ms Eugenia Ekua Armoo, a teacher, said many Ghanaians did not participate in the day because they lacked adequate information on it.

She said effective measures must be put in place to increase education on the day’s significance, especially for the younger generation, to encourage Ghanaians to appreciate its relevance, especially as many thought it went a long to reduce productivity.

For Ms Sophia Andoh, a retired teacher, the relevance of the Constitution Day could not be over-emphasised as it recognised the republican constitutional dispensation of Ghana.

It also gave the necessary impetus to the country’s efforts to maintain the Fourth Republic.

Mr Alex Nketsiah, a former teacher, stressed the need to organise regular public lectures to put the constitution in proper perspective regarding its relevance, history and content.

That, he said, could help cure the apathy towards the celebration of the Day and make the public to understand its importance.

Opanyin Kofi Kyemenu, a fisherman in Abuesi, said most of his colleagues in fishing communities did not understand the relevance of the Constitution Day, let alone celebrate it.

“Only the educated are privy to the information on the celebration of the Constitution Day”, he said.

He requested that efforts must be made to write and disseminate information on the Constitution in the local dialects for easy understanding.

The residents, therefore, urged the National Commission for Civic Education to step up efforts at raising public awareness on the significance of Ghana’s Constitution Day.