B/A Red Cross educates

The Brong-Ahafo branch, of the Ghana Red Cross Society, has organised a peace forum at New-Dormaa in the Sunyani Municipality, to educate the public on the need to ensure violent-free elections, come December 7.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Kingsford Ohene Gyaase, Municipal Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), entreated political parties in the country to obey the rules of the elections, since the December polls was a test case for Ghana's democracy.

The well-attended peace forum brought together representatives of political parties, such as the Convention People's Party (CPP), People's National Convention (PNC), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as traditional authorities and the clergy.

According to the NCCE Municipal Director, peace could only prevail before, during, and after the general elections, if the political parties respected their code of conduct.

He also stressed on the need for the parties to educate their followers on the political party's code of conduct, so that they could also be abreast of its rules and regulations.

Mr. Gyaase complained about some traditional leaders engaging openly in active politics, saying the constitution banned them from actively engaging in party politics.

The NCCE Director advised religious leaders to stop using the pulpit to do politics, adding that the practice could jeopardise the peace in the country, underscoring the need for political parties to co-exist peacefully.

On the ongoing transfer of votes exercise, Mr. Gyaase entreated the electorate, who want to transfer their votes, to do so genuinely, to enable them to vote come December 7.

The Sunyani Area Head of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Joseph Albert Mensah, urged the youth to seek peace and prosperity for the nation.

“When there is peace, there is prosperity in the country,” Apostle Mensah quoted from the Bible.

He, therefore, called on Ghanaians, not to engage in political violence, advising the youth to desist from anything that could cause political violence.

The representatives of the various political parties, took their turn to address the gathering respectively, and all stressed on the need for peace to be observed, before, during, and after the elections.

The Chairman of the Brong-Ahafo Regional Committee of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Samuel Ankamah Obour, in an address, asked the general public to pray for peaceful elections.