Cape Coast, Nov. 1, GNA - The Central Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, (NCCE) Mr Frank Adoba, has called for the empowerment and strengthening of local governance structures in order to entrench democracy and good governance in the country.
He expressed concern that unit committees, urban, town and area councils that are the roots of the assemblies are poorly resourced. "It is unfortunate that while assembly members are being paid sitting allowances, those working with the lower structures, are doing so on voluntary basis.''
Mr Adoba said this at the regional Golden Jubilee constitution game competition for senior high schools at Cape Coast. "Without nurturing these lower structures well, we can simply say we are building castles in the air without good democratic foundations," he said.
Mr Adoba appealed to the sector ministry to revisit the issue and ensure that these structures are well catered for to facilitate their operations.
Twelve senior high schools participated in the competition and it was to test their knowledge of the constitution and their civic rights and responsibilities.
Swedru SHS came first with 210 points, Mankessim Secondary /Technical was second with 160 points and Mfantsipim took the third position with 140 points. Assin Manso came last with five points. Mr Adoba said the Central Regional NCCE had embarked on a programme to link up Civic Education Clubs in senior high schools to the various levels of local government structures to help the clubs generate interest in these structures.
This would also enable them to know more about the constitution as well as empower them to take active part in participatory democracy and good governance.
He said in the absence of any effort to empower the structures, no amount of increase in the district and municipal assemblies would get democratic principles entrenched in people at the grassroots.
Mr Adoba spoke about the important role Civic Education clubs play in civic education in schools and said there are 60 active clubs in the region.
He expressed the hope that through them the NCCE would ensure that pupils and students at all levels are taught to realize their roles as future leaders and of consolidating Ghana's democratic system. Mrs Augustina Akosua Akumanyi, the Deputy Chairman of NCCE, said the most effective way of promoting good governance in any country was to ensure involvement of ordinary citizens and this could be done when they are made aware of their civic rights and responsibilities. She said although the NCCE had been mandated to educate the public on the 1992 constitution, it cannot discharge that responsibility alone and stressed the need for civil society organisations' involvement especially at the grassroots.
"Respecting the constitution and living by its tenets will guarantee us peace and stability which will eventually lead to prosperity."
Mrs Akumanyi also appealed to girls to get involved in school and other activities and not leave all the executive positions for the boys. ''Politics is not only about becoming a president, minister or a district chief executive. There are many important roles that one can play behind the scenes.''
Mr Kofi Ribeiro, Assistant Headmaster of Mfantsipim School, called on the students to use peer pressure in enhancing a positive change in their schools and the society at large and to endeavour to study the constitution.
He commended the commission for initiating the programme and said it would help broaden the minds of students on their constitutional rights and responsibilities.
