Builsa South NCCE Directorate inaugurates District’s Inter-Party Dialogue Committee

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Builsa South District inaugurated the district’s Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) on Tuesday, May 23, 2024, at the District Assembly.

The inaugural meeting brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the security intelligence community, various political parties, the Electoral Commission, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Youth Parliament, Births and Deaths Registry, Traditional Council, religious organizations, and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). This initiative is part of the commission’s mandate to educate citizens and ensure peace in the upcoming elections.

In her welcome address, Mrs. Aliko Caroline, the district director for the NCCE, emphasized the importance of maintaining peace before, during, and after the 2024 elections. She highlighted the negative impacts of disrupting the country’s stability and its impressive track record of holding eight successful presidential and parliamentary elections, culminating in peaceful transitions of political power. She also urged the media to act as agents of peace rather than platforms for falsehoods and violence.

Mrs. Caroline stated that the IPDC's engagement on the prevention and countering of violent extremism (PCVE) aims to undertake peace-building consultative meetings and work with all relevant stakeholders to avert extremism, promote peaceful coexistence, and foster national cohesion.

Inaugurating the committee on behalf of the District Chief Executive, Honorable Abdul Rashid Alhassan reiterated the district assembly’s commitment to maintaining a record of no violence or casualties before, during, and after elections. Speaking on behalf of the DCE, Hon. Gariba challenged the newly formed IPDC to uphold the tenets of the constitution and the value of lives and property by sensitizing all stakeholders as mandated.

Mr. Robert Ubindam from the Paga Immigration Service, in his presentation, painted a vivid picture of the dire consequences of not ensuring peaceful elections. He highlighted the constant border threats from extremists that the Immigration Service curtails daily, warning that all their efforts could be in vain if Ghanaians create an unstable environment during the upcoming elections. Representatives from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and other security agencies were also present to stress the importance of the IPDC's formation and to remind participants of their role in enforcing peace by conducting their duties professionally.

Representatives from political parties, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), People’s National Convention (PNC), Convention People’s Party (CPP), and Ghana Union Movement (GUM), pledged their support in educating their members on the need to maintain Ghana’s record of peaceful elections, positioning it as a beacon of democracy in West Africa.

During an open forum, the various key stakeholders present at the meeting pledged their commitment to ensuring the message reaches the grassroots as part of their efforts to contribute to the district’s continual peace and the country at large. They also expressed profound gratitude to the NCCE and the European Union (EU) for initiating the formation of the IPDC in the district and holding these meetings, highlighting the importance of this initiative in their goodwill messages.