Jesus Cares International school in the Obuasi Municipality has emerged winners of the 2023 National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Constitution Quiz Competition in Obuasi.
The Annual competition organized by the Obuasi Municipal office of NCCE was to engage pupils and help them to appreciate the relevance of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. The competition is mainly targeted at the youth to instill in them a sense of civic duty for national growth and development. The competition again promotes active citizenship among students and enable them to participate in sustaining Ghana's democracy.
Jesus Cares International school won with 36 points beating three other schools, Awurade Basa, BONSEC Standard school and New Nsuta school who had 29, 27 and 21 points respectively.
The schools were given constitution game, certificate of participation for both the school and the participants, exercise books, pens and mathematical sets.
Throwing more light on the quiz competition, the Senior Civic Education officer Jacqueline Mahu said the competition forms part of activities to celebrate 30 years of efforts by the NCCE to consolidate the democracy of the country.
She added that the Constitution quiz has been adopted as a key strategy by the Commission to execute its core mandate, which is to educate Ghanaians on the principles and objectives of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to engender civic consciousness among citizens.
Madam Mahu lauded the Obuasi Municipal Assembly for sponsoring the quiz competition saying her office will intensify education on the constitution especially in schools to enable the pupils appreciate the tenants of the constitution.
Nana Owusu Akyeaw Brempong, Odikro of Bogobiri who was the chairman of the occasion called for amendments to the 1992 constitution emphasising that it has outlived its importance. He said the constitution must take into consideration current circumstances pertaining in the country.
"We must consider job creation, maximising our natural resource usage, improving agriculture in our new constitution. Again emoluments given to Article 71 office holders must be reviewed", he stated.
Nana Owusu Akyeaw Brempong also suggested that there was the need to sensitize school children on how the local government system operates. He said there was a disconnect between the people and the system that has been employed to govern them.
"The onus lies on we the leaders especially traditional leaders to consistently monitor how the local government system works so that we can also educate our followers", he added
Mrs. Hannah Fosu of the Obuasi Municipal Education Directorate called for more of such quiz competitions to conscientise pupils on the need to acknowledge the importance of the 1992 constitution. He said the Education directorate will continue to partner the NCCE on such programs.
Sir Julius Ziemah a Social studies teacher and NCCE patron of Jesus Cares Int. School said the school makes conscious efforts to educate their pupils on the principles of the constitution hence their stellar performance on the day.