By Laudia Sawer
Tema, April 30, GNA -The Tema Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has for the second consecutive time, won the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Tema Metropolitan constitutional quiz challenge among the state security services.
The GNFS team, who won the maiden edition in 2023, emerged winners during a sixth round to break a tie between them and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Eastern Naval Command, who all had 57 points after five rounds of questions on the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and local and international current affairs.
A wrong answer from the Navy team to a question on the winner of the last Ghana Premier League from Mr Stanley Quaynor, the quiz master, pushed the Fire team to the top to retain their position in the competition.
At the end of the contest, the Eastern Naval Command emerged second, followed by the Customs Division, which was declared third, and the Ghana Immigration Service, which placed fourth.
All participants received certificates of participation, while those in service received trophies, certificates, copies of the Constitution, and a bible.
Ms Gifty Agyeiwaa Badu, the Tema Metropolitan Director of the NCCE, said in an address that the constitution quiz competition, which was supported by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), is one of the activities to mark the annual Constitution Week celebration, which is one of the flagship programmes of the Commission.
Ms Badu said the week-long celebration was used to remind Ghanaians of Ghana’s return to democratic rule, indicating that this year’s celebration, which was on the theme: “Together we can build Ghana: so, get involved,” was also being used to remind the public of the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled for December 7, 2024.
She therefore encouraged all citizens aged 18 and above who have not registered to vote to participate in the limited registration exercise slated to take place from May 7 to 27, 2024, to enable them to exercise their voting rights in the elections.
She added that the quiz was initiated as one of the strategies to promote and encourage the study of the Constitution among citizens, adding that the security services edition is to test their knowledge of it and empower the officers and personnel to defend the Constitution against all forms of abuse and violations.
Reverend Francis Guggisberg Tetteh, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC), who chaired the competition, commended the security agencies for their hard work to protect the country in their diverse fields.
Reverend Tetteh, who is also the Chairman of the Tema District Council of Churches, said as elections approached, and tempers were high, such a competition among the security services would draw their minds to the need to ensure the security of the country and uphold the 1992 Constitution.
He appealed to the government to properly resource the NCCE to meet their mandate of educating the public on their civic rights and responsibilities and the tenets of the constitution.
Mr Yohane Amarh Ashitey, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, in a speech read on his behalf by Ms Cherun Kwarteng, a Deputy Director of the TMA, applauded the NCCE for promoting the study of the constitution, which is important in shaping the destiny of the country.
GNA