By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Oct. 29, GNA – Ms Kathleen Addy, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), provided sensitisation for members of the Tema Joint Church congregation at Community Seven, on the upcoming general elections by promoting peace and responsible civic conduct.
The engagement forms part of the church’s Ladies’ Fellowship 30th Anniversary Celebration.
Ms Addy said the NCCE was an independent constitutional body established under Chapter 19 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, with the mandate to promote and sustain democracy and inculcate in the Ghanaian citizenry the awareness of their rights and obligations through civic education.
Touching on the elections, she said key issues of money in politics and vote buying, misinformation, disinformation and fake news, electoral violence, and religious tolerance needed to be examined.
She bemoaned the increasing issue of money in politics, where politicians prioritised financial incentives over policy promises to gain electoral support, cautioning that vote-buying undermined democratic principles as it risked allowing money to determine leadership instead of merit.
The NCCE, she revealed, was actively educating citizens to reject vote-buying and instead demand clear visions and policies from political candidates.
She stressed that if the practice went unchecked, it could lead to selling the country to the highest bidder and urged citizens to make informed choices based on candidate merit rather than monetary offers.
Touching on electoral violence, the NCCE Chairperson reminded the congregation of Ghana’s history of political tensions and cautioned against worsening divisions through inciteful utterances and confrontations.
She said it was important for Ghanaians to maintain the peace in the country, noting that neighbouring nations experiencing turmoil should serve as reminders of the consequences of societal breakdown.
Ms Addy appealed to the congregation to act as ambassadors for peace, recognising that those who incite violence and tension were often people within their own communities, stressing the importance of preserving Ghana as a safe, stable country where future generations can thrive.
On the issue of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news, she noted that in today’s internet-driven age, there was a tendency for such instances, particularly on social media, cautioning that people must be wary of the dangers associated with sharing unverified information, as it could contribute to a cycle of negative reactions and societal harm.
She encouraged the public to avoid forwarding or sharing information that could be misleading, divisive, and defamatory, urging them to question the validity of information before sharing to help curb the spread of falsehoods and prevent manipulation by individuals with harmful agendas.
The NCCE chairperson called on Ghanaians to maintain the long-standing religious tolerance reputation of the country, especially during the election period.
She commended the collective agreement among leaders from various faiths, especially Christian and Muslim communities, to resist any divisions on religious grounds, noting that divisions based on faith lead to societal misery rather than progress.
Ms Addy encouraged the public to become active citizens beyond the election, stressing that they must actively participate in community discussions, hold leaders accountable, and contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s democratic and developmental progress.
GNA