The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has inaugurated an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) for Asokwa municipality in Kumasi.
Composed of 29 members, the committee, chaired by Nana Fe Baamoah, Asokwahene, was outdoored on Tuesday morning at a brief but colourful ceremony.
The committee is made up of representatives of political parties, faith-based organisations, Civil Society groups (CSOs), People With Disabilities (PWDs), Peace Council, NCCE and traditional leaders.
The committee is tasked to ensure peace before, during and after elections in the Asokwa municipality.
In an election year, the Committee is expected to meet as and when it becomes necessary, whereas, in none election years, they are supposed to meet at least once a month for deliberations.
The secretary to the Ashanti Regional Peace Council, Rev Emmanuel Badu-Amoah, facilitated the inaugural session of the committee.
In his presentation, he described dialogue as an important element required for a peaceful co-existence of human beings.
According to him, once we are human beings with different opinions, thoughts and belief systems, some level of disagreements are bound to occur but when they do, dialogue should always be the best option.
He said it is even more demanding in the political circles, especially in an election year because of the tension that characterises events leading to it.
Rev Amoah, therefore asked political leaders to refrain from the practice of inciting their followers to foment trouble when issues crop up and instead resort to dialogue in resolving them.
The Chairman of the Committee, Nana Fe Baamoah, in his remarks expressed gratitude to the NCCE for the initiative and pledged his full support.
He promised to do everything in his power to ensure the success of the committee, stressing that the Asokwa Municipality will be the ultimate winner if the committee succeeds.
The Asokwahene solicited the cooperation of other members of the committee, whilst entreating them to be good ambassadors of peace as the nation prepares to go to the polls on December 7.
Mr Tweneboah Kodua, NCCE Director for Asokwa, who doubles as the secretary to the committee, thanked the participants for their commitment.
He implored the members to be agents of change in their respective communities and organisations, noting that the success of the committee rests on their active involvement.
The NCCE municipal director observed that peace is expensive, therefore, we should collectively work together to attain it.