Day: January 10, 2024

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called on the public to do everything in their capacities to protect and defend the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to help consolidate the country’s democratic gains ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Mr Justice Yaw Ennin, the Western Regional Director of the NCCE, who made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Takoradi, said the Constitution was the backbone of the country’s democratic principles, and that it was the duty of every citizen to ward off any attacks on the Constitution.

‘The Constitution is the supreme law of the land that ensures we enjoy our fundamental rights, so as citizens we must protect the Constitution with all our might for its continuous survival,’ he said.

Mr Ennin noted that the country’s socio-economic development aspirations were anchored on its democratic credentials, saying, ‘We must not substitute anything for our democracy if we want to realise the kind of development we desire as a nation.’

Speak
ing on some of the threats to Ghana’s democracy, he mentioned the monetisation of Ghana’s political landscape by political actors, and said the act undermined the democratic doctrines of the country.

He said: ‘The act of voter inducement that is taking centre stage in our political landscape is very bad, and we are heading towards a situation where only the rich can go into political leadership positions.’

Mr Ennin indicated that the phenomenon bred corruption among those elected to leadership positions, and subsequently led to underdevelopment, ‘so we must come together and put a stop to this menace.’

On the December 7 general elections, he asked politicians to run their campaigns based on their ideas and solutions to the country’s socio-economic challenges.

The Western Region NCCE Director appealed to stakeholders, especially the security agencies to ensure the conduct of a violence-free election, adding; ‘We do not want what happened in 2020 where eight people lost their lives to repeat this year.’

Mr
Ennin also asked journalists to be circumspect in their political reportage, and not give room for activities that threatened the peace and stability of the country before, during and after the elections.

He said they must use their media platforms to educate the electorate, especially the youth, against indulging in all forms of activities that bred violence during the electioneering period.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Save the Nation Movement, a new political party, has been unveiled as it bids to contest the 2024 General Election.

At an outdoor ceremony in Accra, supporters, executives, and the presidential candidate wore paraphernalia of the movement, including t-shirts, cloth, and flags, to grace the occasion.

Supporters and the leaders of the party alike sang cheerful and patriotic songs to demonstrate their excitement over the launch of the new political movement in Ghana.

The emblem of the party consists of a lion, and the colours include yellow and white.

In an address to the supporters, Mr Desmond Kwame Abrefa, the presidential candidate, said his decision to contest the 2024 election was based on the social, economic, and political deficit the country was facing.

He said the challenges confronting the country required a new kind of leadership to break the political duopoly that had marked Ghana’s fourth republican democracy.

‘When we look at the level of development in the country, it is clear that Ghan
a has no future. Clearly, roads, markets, health centres, and educational structures are not up to the standard as compared to most developing and developed countries across the globe,’ he said.

Mr Abrefa also said the future of the country lied in the hands of leaders who understood the progress and development of the country.

The presidential candidate also bemoaned the policy formulation approach of the country, saying the adherence to the party manifesto instead of a long-term national development plan by political parties in government had occasioned the development deficit of the country.

When given the nod to become the country’s president, Mr Abrefa promised to run an all-inclusive government that would feature resource persons from various fields and political parties.

‘I believe that every individual, regardless of party affiliation, has something good to offer the nation; as such, creating a politically inclusive government will ensure that all of the country’s human resources are utilised for
the benefit of the nation as a whole,” he said.

The Movement promised to develop the human resource potential of the country, notably the youth, to reduce the reliance on foreign experts.

Mr Abrefa urged the supporters to avail themselves of voluntary services, particularly speaking on behalf of the party on various media platforms if the need arose.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) needs a new mandate to continue with its social intervention policies and programmes aimed at transforming and improving the lives of Ghanaians.

Mrs Samira Bawumia, the second Lady, who stated this, said it was important for the NPP to break the eight year rule to enable it to continue the country’s socio-economic transformation agenda for the benefit of all.

Mrs Bawumia stated this during a New Year interaction with market women and traders at the Kejetia market in Kumasi.

She said Dr Bawumia, the flag-bearer of the NPP, was committed to the transformation agenda of the country and that was why he had consistently supported the President to undertake various policies and programmes that had helped to transform the economy and move it to the path of growth and development.

Mrs Bawumia charged the market women and traders to have faith in the NPP government and support Dr Bawumia to win the 2024 elections to help consolidate the gains achieved so far.

She said the government
would continue to work to address the challenges facing trading and commerce and improve the conditions and environment in which they carried out their business activities.

Nana Ama Ampomah, Ashanti Regional Women’s organizer of the NPP said it was important to strengthen the bond between the traders, the first lady and the NPP to help identify the problems facing the women and find solutions to them.

She cautioned the traders against the activities of the members of the NDC who would come to the market and spread falsehoods during the campaigning period to discredit the good works of the government.

Nana Ampomah asked the traders not to yield to propaganda and continue to support the NPP to continue with the various interventions which were helping to improve the lives of the people across the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency