Drobonso (Ash), Oct. 30, GNA – The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Sekyere Afram Plains District have resolved to lead a campaign against electoral violence in the district as key actors in the maintenance of peace in the area.
The two leading parties have issued a joint statement to demonstrate their commitment to peaceful elections at an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) meeting organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).
Sekyere Afram Plains is known as one of the hotspots in the Ashanti Region in terms of electoral violence, especially between the two leading parties.
The IPDC meeting was to sensitise stakeholders on violent extremism as part of a campaign being implemented by the NCCE in collaboration with the National Security Ministry to promote national cohesion and peaceful co-existence.
It was attended by representatives of political parties, youth groups, women groups, persons with disabilities, Muslim leaders and the Clergy.
The representatives of the NDC and NPP took turns to admit that any process to address electoral violence in the district without their commitment as political parties would not be successful.
They, therefore, acknowledged the need for them to work together as key stakeholders to bring lasting peace between supporters of the two parties and the entire district for that matter.
This, they argued, would go a long way to erase the “hotspot” tag, which had always been associated with Sekyere Afram Plains during elections.
All other participants at the meeting applauded the gesture of the two parties, which they said was a step in the right direction towards sustainable peace and development of the district.
Madam Margaret Konama, the Regional Director of NCCE, commended the two parties for showing leadership and stressed the need to carry along their supporters on the path of peace for national development.
She encouraged the participants to contribute to peace in their localities by exposing trouble makers whose actions could bring dire consequences on the entire community.
She said ethnocentrism was a major cause of conflict in Ghana and called for peaceful-coexistence as neighbours and rather strive to overcome poverty and diseases, which were the real enemies.
Mr. Francis Oppong, the District Director of NCCE, said the IPDC was a platform created by the Commission to resolve election related disputes and commended the participants for availing themselves for the meeting.
He said they were selected from a cross-section of stakeholders and urged them to lead the campaign for peace in the district to ensure accelerated development.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Opoku Agyemang Prempeh, the Kumawu District Police Commander, who made a presentation on Vigilantism and the Public Order Act, said it was important for Ghanaians to always maintain peace and security.
He said the citizenry had a role to play in complementing efforts of security agencies in maintaining law and order by volunteering information on crime and suspicious activities in their communities.
On vigilantism, DSP Prempeh said perpetrators could be jailed 10 years and also banned from holding any public office after serving their sentence and called on the youth to stay away from any activity that could disturb public peace.
Mr. Thomas Nana Okrah, Chairman of the IPDC said development and investments could only be attracted to the district when there was peace and implored the participants to be ambassadors in their respective organisations.
GNA