Jasikan (O/R), Nov. 3, GNA – The Reverend Eugene Tetteh Duodu, the Jasikan District Pastor of the Church of Pentecost, has advised members of the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) to be democratic and tolerate each other’s views and beliefs to ensure a peaceful nation.
Addressing the IPDC meeting at Jasikan, organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in collaboration with the National Security Ministry, he urged the participants to continually pray for the nation to prosper, “because if the nation prospers, you will also prosper.”
He asked the participants to play their roles actively towards peace sustenance with an inference from the Bible; “As much as we can, let’s endeavour to stay in peace with everyone”.
Rev. Duodu charged the media to report the facts and not dwell on sensational stories that had the tendency to bring chaos.
He commended the NCCE for always striving to carry out such programmes even with limited resources and urged participants to be active ambassadors to attain the desired results.
Mr Stephen Mensah, the Jasikan District Director of the NCCE, said the IPDC was a brain-child of the Commission to discuss electoral related issues to ensure peace.
Mr Robert Boame, the NCCE Oti Regional Director, urged stakeholders to eschew discriminating against people of different sects and beliefs and tolerate divergent views even if they disagreed with them to foster national unity.
“When there is a conflict, the property you have acquired would be lost, so while you are striving to make ends meet, let’s strive to ensure peace and national cohesion as well,” he said.
He noted that the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act was passed to check the activities of vigilante groups and other activities likely to bring chaos.
Mr Boame charged participants to be vigilant, minimise their level of hospitality to strangers since that could be an opening for extremists to operate.
The IPDC meeting would sensitise participants on activities of violence extremists, enlighten them on various acts that guarded the citizenry’s actions in public, and provide a platform for stakeholders including political parties, security agencies, faith-based organisations and youth groups to discuss matters for peaceful coexistence, he said.
Mr Boame urged the public to notify the police about special events, including demonstrations, at least five working days to the time to avoid any legal breaches.
He advised the participants to share the information gathered with members of their communities and organisations.
GNA