In order to advance nationalism among the younger generation, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Lawra Municipality of the Upper West Region, during the Citizen’s Week reached and sensitised a total of 2,646 pupil and teachers from 30 schools to sustaining Ghana’s democracy and gains over the years.
The students who were drawn from schools such as Birifoh, Tanchara and Dowine Municipal Assembly junior high schools (JHS) comprised 1,313 males and 1,333 females across the municipality.
The Municipal Director of the Commission, Mr Jesurun Ninge Mornah, who educated the school children on the road to Ghana’s democracy through the respective military and civilian regimes said the current stabilised democracy was worth maintaining and called for efforts of the current generation to uphold it.
The sensitisation meetings were on the theme “30 years of consolidating constitutional democracy: building national cohesion through civic education and participation in local governance.”
Mr Mornah stressed to his audience that the aim of the celebration was to imbibe in the Ghanaian child the spirit of patriotism to contribute to the development of Ghana and shun acts that were inimical to the country’s development.
“The 30 years of uninterrupted democratic rule in Ghana indeed calls for democratic consolidation in spite of some minor challenges which of course is expected in every system; our democracy was enhanced by the multi-party democracy hence the need to support the system and practise it with dignity and responsibility to avoid further problems in future,” he stated.
Mr Mornah reiterated that Ghana’s longest democracy started in 1992 when military rule was officially ended in the country along the birth of the constitution and said the democratic governance had persisted in the last 30 years and was hopeful that with continuous sensitisation of the future generation, the country would be able to consolidate its gains.
He urged the pupils to be responsible and uphold the values of the country and its constitution for peaceful coexistence.
For his part, the Municipal Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr John Bedi, said in order to consolidate the country’s democracy, the school children would need to be very disciplined and obedient to the law.
He mentioned for instance respect for elders, respect for people in position, vigilance to avoid political actors from recruiting them as youth to foment trouble and also respect for the national flag as some of the principles that would help them protect the democracy of the country as young citizens.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, LAWRA
