The Chairman of the Commission (middle) and one of her directors in a group
photograph with their hosts
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has celebrated this year’s ‘Constitution Week’ with unique activities intended to sharpen the civic skills of citizens through the understanding of the constitution.
The engagement with citizens at public places such as Circle in Accra among others and the distribution of copies of abridged versions of the constitution gave this year’s chapter of the event a unique touch.
The Chairman of the NCCE, Mrs. Josephine Nkrumah, last Wednesday as part of the series of activities for the ‘Constitution Week’ led a team of directors from her outfit to the offices of the DAILY GUIDE to spread the word of the constitution and to spawn a partnership between the newspaper and the Commission.
During her engagement with senior editors of both DAILY GUIDE and DGN, the television outfit of the multifaceted media establishment, she spoke about the importance of the constitution and the need for Ghanaians to understand it.
The constitution, she said in her remarks during her engagement with the DAILYGUIDE, having been adopted as the fundamental law of the country “every activity must be anchored on it.”
The celebration of the ‘Constitution Week’ is in fulfillment of one of the Commission’s mandates to create and sustain awareness on the principles and objectives of the 1992 Constitution to deepen and sustain Ghana’s democracy.
The constitution, she recalled, was adopted on April 28, 1992, as the fundamental law of the country, adding that the NCCE would continue to work towards raising awareness about the need for everyone to be abreast with the Supreme Law of the land, which is the constitution.
It is important, she said, that the document is demystified so that its comprehension is not restricted to a certain class of society. Towards such demystification of the document, she said the NCCE has engaged with various strata of society.
The Commission, she went on, has engaged with security agents at both the national and local levels.
“The constitution is not a phantom document, the preserve of one section of society. It is for all,” she emphasised.
She acknowledged the role of the media in civic education, whose complementation to the work of the NCCE cannot be over emphasised. “So we want to drive that to deepen and amplify the education on the constitution so that by the end of the Constitution Week all would have learnt something little to sharpen their civic skills.
“Even as we harp on our constitutional rights as citizens, it behooves us to live up to our duties both of which are contained in the fundamental document,” she stated.
NCCE officials having trained in managing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures handle some cases at the district level and thus reducing the workload of the courts. “The NCCE in the districts serve as a buffer between the citizens and the courts,” she said.
The Chairman reported that their interaction with Ghanaians in the streets was wonderful as it afforded them of the opportunity to impart civic skills to them.
She was accompanied by some directors of the Commission.
By A.R. Gomda