By Edward Dankwah
Accra, March 18, GNA – Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), has charged the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to effectively communicate the needs and aspirations of Ghanaians to inform policy decisions.
He said as an impartial and a non-partisan institution, the NCCE must do so by providing timely and accurate feedback to policymakers on the needs, aspirations and expectations of Ghanaians.
The Minister was speaking at a courtesy call paid by the NCCE to the MLGCRA, to discuss issues of civic education, accountability and good governance.
Mr. Ahmed said the NCCE is an institution established by the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana to educate Ghanaians about their civic responsibilities.
He said over the past 32 – 33 years, the NCCE had played a pivotal role in promoting civic awareness, contributing significantly to the successful conduct of nine elections during the Fourth Republic, the longest-serving republic in Ghana’s history.
The Minister said the role of the NCCE was gradually being undermined, with some of its responsibilities being taken over by other constitutional bodies, where one such responsibility was voter education and sensitisation, which has led to many rejected ballots in every election.
He added that moving forward, alongside the election budget, electoral materials, and logistics, there must also be a dedicated budget for the NCCE to effectively carry out voter education and publicity for each election.
Mr. Ibrahim said as a result of the growing misunderstanding of the NCCE’s role and responsibilities, and with the recent decision by the President to dissolve the Ministry of Information, the NCCE should be empowered to fulfill its mandate and disseminate government policies.
He said there was a decline in social cohesion and the erosion of core cultural and moral values such as honesty, probity, accountability, and integrity, which had traditionally been the pillars of democracy and society.
“It is the responsibility of the NCCE to foster social groupings in schools and instill these values in the youth, ensuring they grow up with these principles,” he stressed.
The sector minister said the misunderstanding between NCCE officials and the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) could be addressed by inviting the NCCE to collaborate during orientation seminars for the newly appointed MMDCEs, yet to be outdoored.
Ms. Kathleen Addy, Chairperson of the NCCE, said the NCCE was tasked with ensuring that all Ghanaians understood their rights and responsibilities and actively contributed as good citizens.
She said to effectively achieve this, it was crucial that key partners, including the MLGCRA, faith-based institutions, traditional authorities, and other community stakeholders, aligned on the strategy to execute this mandate.
The Chairperson said moving forward, as highlighted in the meeting, the commission must focus on several key priorities this year, in addition to its ongoing work.
“These include the ongoing constitutional reform process and the decentralisation of local government. These two activities have a very heavy component of public education, and that role should be taken up by the NCCE so we are preparing towards that,” she added.
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