NCCE Needs To Intensify Media Engagement

The Tema Metropolitan Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has asked the NCCE national leadership to increase its rapport with the media as a way of marketing its activities.

According to Mr. Isaac Kwame Antwi, even though the headquarters of the NCCE has over the years engaged the media, the Commission would have to increase such engagements in order for the population to know the challenges the Commission goes through in the performance of its duties.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) as part of the review of the year 2017, he said, 'NCCE's interactions with the media shouldn't be few and far in between. We should have these engagements very often for the media to understand what we are doing.'

He added that, 'When media engagements at the national level trickles down to the districts, the media would then understand us, the difficulties we go through and the sacrifices we have to make to keep the Commission going.'

He praised the Commission for the quick release of the yearly programme outline 'which would improve upon our planning and the execution of our projects.'

Mr. Antwi asked the NCCE to bring back the abridged versions of the

1992 Constitution in order for the districts to distribute them on their outreach programmes.

He stressed that, 'We are not well resourced. We plead that our bosses step up their rapport with government institutions and non-governmental organizations so that we can get some form of funding to push our field education work.'

He observed that as a result of the financial challenges and lack of equipment, the Metropolis was able to undertake only one e-quiz competition on the constitution of Ghana and, 'I think the whole region had one or two, so it makes the training and execution of the e-quiz programme very difficult,' he said.

'And when you are having this competition, schools will travel to the centre of the competition, and you need transport for them and would also have to refresh them. And it is all money.'

He observed that through their flagship programme, the Citizens Week, NCCE sought to restore lost Ghanaian values.

He said, 'Ghanaians are noted for respect for elders and for rules and regulations; taking care of government properties, with parents caring for their children and their neighbours as well.'

He said these programmes were designed for citizens to appreciate honesty, the need to keep the environment clean, report crimes to the

Police, take care of children, pay taxes and take part in communal labour and decision making.

He said the Tema Metropolis would intensify its outreach programmes in 2018 to schools and communities, economic and social groups, and faith-based organizations to share constitutional issues with them 'and draw their attention to the directive principles of state policy, to know their duties as citizens, what is expected of the government, what they have to do as citizens so that together, we would have a nation others would like to emulate.'

Out of 74 activities planned for the first quarter of 2017, 61 were actually carried out with 101 out of 104 activities carried out for the second quarter.

Sixty six (66) activities out of 104 and 99 out of 138 planned activities were carried out for the third and fourth quarters respectively.

The year under review saw 327 Civic Education programmes held in the Tema Metropolis with a total of 39,021 participants made up of 17,604 males and 21,417 females benefiting.