By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, June 06, GNA – The Northern Regional Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has engaged the Ghana Armed Forces in an open forum on the country’s fourth republican constitutional dispensation.
The engagement, held at Kamina Barracks in Tamale, formed part of activities to mark 2024 Annual Constitution Week celebration, which seeks to consolidate the gains made by the State in the over 30 years of democratic governance.
April 28, this year marked exactly 32 years since 92 per cent of Ghanaians voted ‘yes’ in a referendum to accept and approve the 1992 Constitution as the fundamental law of the country.
This year’s celebration was organised under the theme: “Together We Can Build Ghana, So Get Involved”.
Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, Northern Regional Director of NCCE, speaking during the event, said it was geared towards deepening the understanding of the military on issues of constitutional governance, democracy, and the rule of law.
He said the military, and the other security agencies under the fourth republican constitution, had played crucial roles in helping to ensure stability in Ghana’s democratic governance processes.
He said, “The survival of the 1992 Constitution is grounded on the collective efforts of both the civilians and the various security agencies in the country.”
Alhaji Mohammed said although the country had witnessed eight successful elections and transfer of political power, it was still confronted with several challenges, which required all stakeholders to work assiduously together to address.
He mentioned the issue of security threats in neighbouring countries, money laundering, monetisation of Ghana’s politics and radicalisation as some of the challenges and urged the military to demonstrate more vigilance to safeguard the country and sustain its democratic credentials.
Captain Dominic Yeboah, Chaplain of the Sixth Infantry Battalion, Kamina Barracks, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, in an open forum, commended the NCCE for extending the celebration to the military.
He said 32 years of uninterrupted constitutional rule was a remarkable achievement, which should be celebrated, adding the engagement by the NCCE was relevant and timely.
Some of the officers appealed to the NCCE to use the celebration to educate the citizenry on the need for peaceful coexistence between civilians and military in the country.
Prior to the engagement with the military, the NCCE engaged the Prisons Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, and the Custom Division of GRA in the region to increase awareness on the importance of democratic governance and peaceful coexistence in the country.
GNA