Tema, April 29, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has donated pocket-size copies of the 1992 Constitution to three institutions.
The donation, to the National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NACP), Ghana News Agency Tema office and Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s Obonu FM, is part of activities to commemorate the 2021 National Constitutional Week, which started on April 28 and expected to end on May 4 across the country.
Mrs Joyce Benedicta Afutu, NCCE’s Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, presented the copies to representatives of the three institutions on behalf of the Commission’s Chairperson Ms Josephine Nkrumah at a Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day, seminar at Tema.
The 2021 celebration also marks 20 years since the NCCE’s started educating citizens on the tenets and objectives of the 29-year-old fourth Republican constitution.
The celebration is on the theme: “We are one, Ghana first.”
She said the theme was carefully chosen “because we just came from an election and you know we had the petition with its acrimony, so we want Ghanaians to remember that we are one so we have to put the election behind us and support whoever won so that we all develop our nation Ghana.”
She added that the Constitution was a living document protecting Ghanaians and, therefore, it was the duty of everybody to defend and uphold it.
Mrs Afutu said in all the 16 Regions and 254 districts across the country, civic educators were tasked to use the period to engage citizens, faith-based organizations, artisans, school children, security personnel and other identifiable groupings on the principles of the constitution and their civic responsibilities.
“On 28th April 1992, eligible Ghanaians 18 years and above went to the referendum and over 90 percent voted to accept it. So every 28th April we rally around the constitution we are in the 29th year of the fourth republican constitution,” she said.
Mrs Afutu stressed the relevance of commemoration of the annual constitution week as it is an effort to ensure that the Constitution becomes a living document embossed on the minds and hearts of Ghanaians in pursuit of democracy and good governance.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the GNA-Tema, Ms Nkrumah, NCCE Chairperson explained that the successful transfer of political power from one elected government to another, coupled with transitional hiccups, election petitions and other related issues affirms the need for knowledge and information sharing for Ghanaians to continue to nurture the growth and sustenance of our democracy and constitutionalism.
Ms Nkrumah, therefore, called on religious leaders, security agencies, the media, civil society organizations and other government institutions to use the Constitution Week celebration to deepen public understanding.
Mrs Felicia McEwan Anamoah, Head of News GBC Obonu FM called on the media to support the NCCE towards building and strengthening the pillars of multi-party democracy in the country.
The second GNA-Tema Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day seminar was attended by the National Commission for Civic Education, GBC Obonu FM, and other officials from state and non-state institutions.
GNA