Regional News of Thursday, 13 May 2004

Source: GNA

NCCE urged to reach out to violence-prone communities.

Bulenga (UW), May 13, GNA - Mr Godfrey Bayon Tangu, Wa Municipal Chief Executive has called on the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to intensify its campaigns in violence-prone communities in order to prevent political conflicts, thuggery and other related crimes during the up-coming elections.

As an election year, he said "political temperatures" have begun rising due to unguarded statements and the intolerance some political activists had begun to exhibit.

Mr Tangu made the call when he launched this year's Constitutional Week celebrations in the municipality at Bulenga under the theme: "National Integration Through Intolerance".

He mentioned radio discussions and phone-in programmes at local FM stations as the avenues through which some of these uncomplimentary remarks were being made to destroy political opponents.

"This has the tendency to evoke passions and emotions that can degenerate into chaos to the detriment of all citizens", he noted. Mr Tangu said the assembly has in collaboration with a network of organisations initiated a programme to water down raging conflicts and find ways of defusing potential ones for peace to prevail in the area. Under the programme, Action Aid Ghana and the Ghana Network for Peace Building have started training members of the assembly, chiefs and opinion leaders in the area on peace building techniques in order to promote peace in their communities.

Mr Seidu Mumuni Iddrisu, Wa Municipal Director of the NCCE, expressed the hope that the celebration of the week would develop constitutionalism and eventually make the constitution not only a living document, but also a daily companion of every citizen. That would enable the people to have the courage to resist violation of their fundamental rights and resist coups and dictatorships, he stated.