The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kathleen Addy, has advised Ghanian voters to vote for candidates based on issues that speak to their conscience.
She particularly admonished young people to consider policies they believe will accelerate socio-economic development.
The NCCE boss underscored the need for the voters to reject politicians who tried to entice them with money, gifts, and promises to incite violence and threaten Ghana’s stability, peace, and security.
Speaking at a community engagement organised on Friday, October 18, 2024, she added violent activities were unlawful; hence, they should avoid them.
Madam Kathleen Addy noted that it was the responsibility of the NCCE to raise awareness against misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and fake news ahead of the upcoming December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“We came here to discuss things like violence and violent activities and remind citizens that these things are outside of the law, and it doesn’t help our country. So, we must avoid becoming victims of politicians who come and give us arms, give us knives, and a little bit of money to go and cause trouble during the election,” she said.
The event was organised in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and USAID.
The key objective of the event was to help ensure peace and stability before, during, and after the elections.
It was held on the theme “Together we can build Ghana, so get unloved.”
Some of the topics discussed were political accountability and the dangers of vote-buying/money politics, their negative effects on national development, and socio-economic growth. She expressed the commitment of the NCCE in extending the exercise to other communities.
“We are doing this work not only here but in various less endowed communities around the country. We are giving extra attention to those communities because we want the message to sink here very clearly. Because a lot of times it is the young people from these areas that are misused or misled into taking up illegal activities around elections,” she said.
Gilbert Sam, Senior Election Specialist at IFES Ghana, reaffirmed his organisation’s commitment to enhancing inclusivity within Ghana’s political framework, particularly for women and individuals with disabilities. He also emphasised the heightened campaign against vote-buying, underscoring its adverse effects on Ghana’s socio-economic development.
“We’ve been fighting against Galamsey for a while now. So imagine a galamseyer funds a certain politician or MP who then finds their way into Parliament. Do you think if there’s a bill to tackle the issue, that person would be able to vote in support? No,” he said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
