By Paul Mamattah
The Awutu Senya East Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education, NCCE, has rolled out public education on the 1992 Constitution to mark this year’s Constitution Week Celebration.
The celebration, is a week-long duration to observe the country’s return to constitutional rule, instituted by the Commission in 2001, it seeks to promote constitutional literacy among the Ghanaian population and also encourage the citizenry to exercise their civic responsibilities.
This 2023 Constitution Week celebration was on the theme; “Thirty Years of Consolidating Constitutional Democracy: Building National Cohesion through Civic Education and Participation in Local Governance”.
The office engaged with identifiable groups such as fashion designers, hairdressers, churches, and artisans among others in the Municipality as part of its activities marking this year’s Constitution Week celebration.
The Awutu Senya East Municipal Director of the NCCE, Mrs. Mary Ankrah, said Ghana’s return to constitutional rule was a landmark in the country’s history worth celebrating adding that Ghanaians needed to tolerate dissenting views to ensure peaceful coexistence and national cohesion as enshrined in the Constitution.
She said every Ghanaian must protect the Constitution as a good citizen to strengthen the peace and stability in the country and entreated Ghanaians to respect and protect the fundamental human rights and freedoms of all citizens.
Mrs. Ankrah stated that this year marks thirty years of the NCCE as an independent, non-partisan governance institution under article 231 of the 1992 Constitution saying; the NCCE Act, 1993, Act 452, that works to promote and sustain democracy and inculcate in the Ghanaian citizenry, the awareness of their rights and obligations, through civic education.
As part of the celebration, the Awutu Senya East Municipal Director of the NCCE said in line with the mandate of the NCCE to educate citizens on their civic rights and responsibilities, underscored the urgent need to encourage marginalized persons to partake in this year’s district elections, to promote inclusive and participatory governance.
Mrs. Ankrah reiterated that the 1992 Constitution had stood the test of time and outlived all previous Constitutions and all efforts must be made to ensure inclusive governance, to deepen the democratic credentials of the Constitution.
She noted that participation of women in the Ghanaian political space had been poor and worse in the district level elections as many people did not have an interest in such elections and the situation had always led to low turnout but the Commission was determined to change the narrative.
Mrs. Ankrah therefore urged Ghanaians to fully participate in the upcoming district level elections to sustain grassroots growth, development, and a path for achieving democracy through decentralization.
