Diana Acconcia, Ambassador of EU to Ghana (3rd left) and Madam Josephine Nkrumah, NCCE boss (3rd right), with officials from the EU and NCCE
The Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ARAP), a European Union (EU)-funded agency that works alongside relevant government institutions to combat corruption in Ghana, has donated an off-road 4×4 customized cinema van to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to assist it in its work.
The €101,154.73 van is fitted with modern high-end technical equipment which will, among others, enable the Commission to deliver effectively and efficiently on its mandate of informing, educating and sensitizing the general public to relevant national issues.
At a brief presentation ceremony held at the NCCE head office in Accra, the Ambassador of the EU to Ghana, Ms. Diana Acconcia, commended the NCCE for being one of the first institutions to “reinvest the field” while delivering a much needed awareness campaign on the Covid-19 pandemic, with clear messages on health protocols for communities all over the country even when the country was on lockdown.
She said the NCCE was selected as the beneficiary of the van because its structure and ability to reach out to citizens at various levels make it a powerful and unique vehicle for public education in the country.
“The procurement of the cinema van for the NCCE is, therefore, meant to increase the audio-visual capacity of the Commission to reach out to the communities using documentaries, films, audio recordings and live street interactions,” she disclosed.
Dr. Acconcia added that NCCE would use the van to extend its educational campaign, notably on critical environmental governance issues, such as illegal small-scale mining and logging, and waste disposal in affected communities.
She expressed optimism that the van would enable the Commission to deepen its operational capacity in reaching out to the citizenry, especially before, during and after the upcoming general election, with a key message of peaceful and violent-free elections.
On the receiving end was the Chairperson of the NCCE, Madam Josephine Nkrumah, who conveyed the gratitude of her outfit to the EU and ARAP for the gesture.
She noted that the donation “further assures us that we continue to work effectively as a Commission”.
She disclosed that the lack of mobile audio-visual equipment that allows us to reach every nook and cranny of our country and ensure that the good people of Ghana benefit from the services of public education from the Commission has been “one of our biggest concerns”.
“We believe very strongly that having received this cinema van, the presence of the NCCE – our visibility, our effective communication – will be greatly enhanced,” she stated.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio