NCCE Urges Sustainability Of Peace

Mrs Charlotte Osei - NCCE Chairperson

Mrs Charlotte Osei - NCCE Chairperson The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Charlotte Osei, has reminded Ghanaians of the fragility of the country’s democracy and urged them to sustain the gains made.

She said it was important for Ghanaians to recognise that democracy required constant work and effort to sustain, adding that democracy was a journey and not a destination.

“As we approach the sixth election in our current democratic journey, we need to rally around our nation and ensure that we do not throw away all the gains of the past 20 years. History will not forgive us,” she said in Accra Friday at the launch of this year’s Constitution Week celebration.

The celebration is anchored on the theme: “Stand up for Ghana”, and the NCCE is admonishing Ghanaians to use it to stand up for peace and endeavour to protect the country’s fragile democracy.

This year’s Constitution Week is very significant in many respects. First, it comes ahead of a crucial general election that has serious implications for the country’s democracy; second, the occasion coincides with the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

The 1992 Constitution, which was adopted on April 28, 1992, is the longest surviving constitution in the history of Ghana and over the past two decades it has yielded five successful elections and two smooth transitions of power from one political party to another and nurtured a culture of democracy applauded by the international community as a beacon in Africa.

“We call on all Ghanaians to use the occasion of the 20th anniversary of our Constitution to pause and reflect on the fragility of our democracy,” Mrs Osei said.

She said as a nation, Ghana was respected world-wide for the stability of its democracy, especially given the many incidents of electoral violence in the West African sub-region, and urged Ghanaians to take inspiration from the lyrics of the National Anthem to stand up for the nation.

She further urged Ghanaians to be tolerant of the views and opinions of others, adding, “We can sustain our democracy only if we accept our ethnic, language, religious and cultural differences as a nation.

“It is important to put our nation first above any and all political parties and persons. Let us stand up for Ghana by holding our politicians to a higher standard this election year. It is our hope, belief and prayer that the December elections will produce a stronger, more peaceful and incredibly prosperous nation,” she remarked.

Mrs Osei appealed to the media to support the NCCE by creating awareness of and educating the people on the values inherent in abiding by the tenets of the Constitution.

The NCCE is marking the 20th anniversary of the Constitution with a Democracy Lecture on Tuesday, May 2, 2012.

There will also be a Citizenship Day, during which officials of the NCCE and volunteers will visit about 200 schools across the country to interact with schoolchildren on good citizenship.