The Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Lucille Hewlett Annan, has stated that political parties have a crucial role to play in forging national cohesion, peace and security.
She said there was the need to reinforce the role of political parties as key stakeholders for ensuring peace, unity and security in the country.
Mrs Annan stated at an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee Meeting at the La –Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly (LaNMMA) in Accra on Tuesday.
The programme, organised by the NCCE and supported by the European Union (EU), was aimed at educating and sensitising political parties and stakeholders on the importance of national unity, peace and cohesion.
Mrs Annan observed that the programme was to address threats to the nation’s internal security and national cohesion emanating from local socioeconomic and cultural differences, unemployment and religious tensions.
“Recently there have been acts of terrorism and succession in our country and it is the duty of the Commission to educate and sensitise the citizenry to know their rights and responsibilities and cases of violent extremism has been recorded in neighbouring countries, which calls for vigilance, peace and unity to be able to deal with any such issue in the country.
“Countries which enjoyed peace and development have plunged into war because of election-related violence and misunderstandings and this is to create awareness for people to eschew all forms of violence since we have seen what violence has done to other countries,” she added.
Mrs Annan stressed on the need to deepen the existing collaboration between the Commission, political parties, the youth, security agencies, assemblies, traditional authorities, civil societies and community leaders towards ensuring peace and unity nationwide.
The Madina District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police, Godfred Ferdinand Amengor, educated the participants on the Public Order Act and urged them not to hold any special event without the notice of the police.
He entreated the participants to collaborate with the police to promote peace and harmony and implored them to learn to resolve issues outside the courts, especially through mediation, arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Political parties representatives present at the meeting pledged their support and promised to relay the information to their respective parties to ensure peace in the country.
