By Isaac Newton Tetteh
Ashaiman, Oct. 09, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has engaged with selected youth groups in Ashaiman to strengthen their knowledge of political financing, misinformation, disinformation, electoral violence, and the abuse of state resources.
The pilot programme, under the theme ‘Empowering Young People for Responsible Political Participation and Accountability,’ was aimed at educating and equipping the youth with the necessary tools to participate responsibly in political processes while holding leaders accountable.
Ms. Lucile Hewlett Annan, the Commission Secretary of the NCCE, stressed the importance of empowering young people to be actively involved in the democratic process, noting that misinformation and disinformation have become a threat to credible elections, therefore the need to encourage the youth to be vigilant and responsible in consuming political information.
Ms Annan stated that “political finance transparency, curbing electoral violence, and preventing the misuse of state resources are critical to ensuring the integrity of our electoral processes. Young people must not only be participants but advocates for accountability.”
The engagement, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is being executed by the NCCE in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and other partners, including the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
She further hinted that as part of the pilot project, similar engagements would be held across six districts within the Greater Accra Region, reaching out to five schools and hosting five town hall meetings to foster community-level discussions on these key issues.
Mr Mawuli Agbenu, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the NCCE, reiterated the role of youth as the future of the nation’s democracy, emphasising the importance of political education in helping them make informed decisions during elections.
He added that the youth must not allow politicians to ruin their future by inciting them to foment troubles going into the 2024 general elections.
Mr. Isaac Nartey, a youth leader from Ashaiman, commended the initiative, stating that it provided timely education and reinforced the need for responsible engagement in political discourse.
The programme, he said, will help reduce incidents of electoral violence and promote transparency and accountability in the use of state resources.
Over 150 young people, including elected Assembly Members within the various electoral areas, converged at the Church of Pentecost Makeon Temple in Ashaiman for the programme.
GNA