WORKSHOP ON PEACEFUL DISTRICT ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS @ CENTRAL GONJA

WORKSHOP ON PEACEFUL DISTRICT ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS @ CENTRAL GONJA

The District Chief Executive for Central Gonja in the Northern Region of Ghana has challenged the Electoral Commission to recruit permanent people as Returning Officers to handle elections in the country.

Isifu Sualisu Be-Awuribe noted that the use of temporary staff as election management bodies during elections does not auger well for the much anticipated free, fair and transparent elections which leads to electoral disputes.

The DCE raised this concern at a day’s workshop on peaceful district assembly elections organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP) at Buipe in the Central Gonja District.

According to him, political tolerance was the only means by which Ghana could consolidate the gains made out of multi-party democracy and this in his estimation would enable the nation maintain her rank as the shining Star of Africa.

Mr. Be-Awuribe therefore urged participants at the workshop to educate their relations on the importance of political tolerance in their communities.

The Central Gonja DCE also lambasted the media especially local radio talk-show hosts in Tamale for over-sensationalism on matters that are connected to chieftaincy, land and politics.

“The role radio stations play in peace-building in the region cannot be underestimated but I am saddened about the manner in which the airwaves in recent times have been used as a platform to inflame needless passions and whip up emotions on political, religious and ethnic issues in our societies,” he pointed out

“Phone-in segments in particular have been abused by some serial callers whose contributions have rather breached peace instead of building peace in our fragile communities” he added.

The Northern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Hussein Sulemana said the objective of the ongoing exercise was to sensitize electorate in the Northern Region on the need to ensure violence free polls before, during and after the upcoming district assembly and unit committee elections scheduled for October 2010.

He laid emphasis on the need to adopt tolerance and patience as the antidote to ensure peace and tranquility in their respective communities in order to attract investors.

The participants included leaders of the various political parties, chiefs, religious and opinion leaders, youth and women groups who were sensitized on topics such as electoral processes in Ghana with particular reference to the dos and don’ts and the district assembly system.

Mr. Akoamoah, Director of Public Education, Mr. Napoleon Agboda Director of Administration and Mr. Christian Aboagye, Deputy Director of Finance at the NCCE headquarters in Accra, supervised the exercise.