By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bawku (U/E), Nov 29, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged political youth activists to ensure tolerance and respect for opinions to ensure peace before during and after the presidential and parliamentary elections.
Mr Daniel Baya Laar, Bawku Municipal Director of the Commission who gave the advice said such behaviours by the youth who were critical stakeholders in the elections would create the needed atmosphere for sustainable development.
The Municipal Director was speaking to some political youth activists at Tampinzua, a suburb of Bawku as part of efforts to improve knowledge and attitudes of the youth to ensure the culture of peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and non-violence ahead of the December polls.
The engagement formed part of the European Union (EU) sponsored project, dubbed “Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE),” being implemented by the NCCE in eight regions of Ghana.
It aimed at empowering the youth to understand the concept of electoral violence and how they could build political and ethnic tolerance to ensure social cohesion ahead of the 2024 elections.
It was also to educate the youth on the activities of violent extremism and how to build resilience against being radicalised and recruited into extremist groups to destabilise the country.
Mr Laar explained that as the nation geared up to the 2024 elections, it was imperative to foster a culture of peace and tolerance among the youth, who were the highest demographic group and played a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape.
“Elections represented the foundation of democracy, offering people the opportunity to voice their opinions, choose their leaders with the intent of shaping the nation in a good direction for the benefit themselves and generations yet unborn,” he said.
According to him, though Ghana has had eight successful Presidential and Parliamentary elections and peaceful transitions and transfer of political power from a ruling party to an opposition party in recent since 1992, some leaders of political parties take advantage of the vulnerability of the youth, mostly unemployed and use them to cause disturbances
“Let’s hold tight to the culture of peaceful coexistence and national cohesion and also encourage our peers to adopt peaceful approaches in dealing with every form of violence”, he added.
Reverend Father John Kantongi, Vice Chairman for the Bawku Inter-Party Dialogue Committee, advised that though elections had the tendency of stirring up emotions especially among the youth, it was important they looked at the common of the people and desist from violence.
Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, Rockson Akambang, the Office In Charge of the Mognori border, Ghana Immigration Service, cautioned the youth against disinformation, misinformation and hate speeches and encouraged the youth to accept the outcome of the results of the elections with grace.
The youth leaders of Tampinzua expressed their joy for this impactful engagement and pledged their allegiance to ensuring peaceful coexistence before, during and after the December 7th general elections.
GNA