Margaret Konama, the Kumasi Metropolitan Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has urged the citizenry to avail themselves of the opportunity to exercise their franchise in the upcoming referendum and the district level elections.
“We should exercise our constitutional mandate to contribute effectively and efficiently to strengthen local governance by voting massively on Tuesday December 17 this year, to hold the metropolitan municipal and district assembly and unit committee elections to elect our respective leaders to govern us at the local level.
“The event coincides with a referendum on Article 55 (3), which seeks to effect the necessary constitutional amendments to pave way for the involvement of political parties in the district level elections,” Ms Konama noted.
She was addressing a day’s sensitisation, education and awareness workshop organised by the Commission on the district level elections at the Bantama Palace in Kumasi, as part of efforts to whip up interest in the elections, which over the years has recorded relatively low patronage and assured of the Commission’s continuous engagement of stakeholders to highlight the importance of the polls,.
Ms Konama observed that “the commission’s agenda is to get more of the citizenry as educated, sensitised and as aware as possible on the impending exercise because democracy thrives on participatory governance, consequently, the citizenry will have to show keen interest in the district level elections.”
Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI, Chief of Bantama, pledged the traditional authorities collaboration, support and assistance to the Commission in advancing its constitutional mandate, especially in the education, sensitisation and awareness of the masses on the need for them to embrace the district level elections. -GNA
