The National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has organized a community durbar at Old-Ningo in the Ningo-Prampram District to educate the electorate on the December 7 general elections.
Mr Albert Odoi Anim, NCCE Greater Accra Regional Principal Civic Education Officer, addressing the durbar, called on stakeholders to play their roles properly to maintain peace before, during and after the elections.
Mr Anim said it was not enough to cry for peace without all stakeholders playing their respective roles effectively. He added that institutions, political parties, the electorate, among others are duty bound to secure the country's democracy.
He indicated that the transition of Ghana's true democracy from the past six elections under the fourth republic must be reflected in the 2016 elections. "It is incumbent on us to exercise our rights and freedoms in a responsible way through the ballot box", he stated. Mr Anim also advised the electorate to exercise tolerance to its elastic end when engaging each other on national and elections issues.
He urged the citizens not to use the election period to demand for material things from politicians but should rather engage them on topical issues. Electorates, he said, must also desist from defacing and removing posters, posting over opponents posters and posting bills on people's properties without permission. Mr Anim intimated that since there was no substitute for peace, the youth should not allow themselves to be incited into violence.
Mr Sylvester Tetteh, Ningo-Prampram Parliamentary Candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) pledged that he and his executive members would ensure that they organize their activities in a peaceful manner. Mr Tetteh however stated that if the elections were not organized freely and fairly, the NCCE's peace cry would amount to anything.
According to him, "Our actions hould depict peace more than our public talk of peace" adding that all must endeavour to play in accordance with the rules. Mr Frederick Martey, Parliamentary Candidate of the Convention People's Party (CPP) called on politicians and the electorates to abide by the electoral laws.
Mr Martey reminded residents that elections were not war but rather an exercise to choose people to administer the resources of the country. Nene Narwotey Aklotia, Stool Father, Ningo Traditional Area, chairing the durbar, appealed to the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly (NIPDA) and government to properly resource the NCCE in the District to enable them carry out their mandates effectively.
Miss Gifty Agyeiwaa Badu Ningo-Prampram, Ningo-Prampram District NCCE Director, said with the support of the European Union, her outfit organized the durbar to strengthen and deepen understanding of issues of governance among the electorates. Miss Badu added that it was a civic responsibility for every qualified Ghanaian voter to vote at elections to decide who should governs the nation.
Participants at the durbar were drawn from political parties, women groups, disabled associations, the assembly among others.