Some members of the NCCE displaying placards bearing patriotic messages
THE NATIONAL Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on Monday embarked on an outreach aimed at sensitising the general public on the fundamental principles of the 1992 Constitution.
The exercise forms part of the launch of this year’s Constitution Week which spans between Monday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 28.
Held under the theme: ‘Rally round the GhConstitution’, the Commission, through the exercise, sought to connect with citizens and educate them on some of the core contents of the 1992 Constitution, educate them on their duties and responsibilities as well as distribute copies of the 1992 Constitution.
Speaking on the significance of the Ghana Constitution Day, Chairperson of the NCCE, Madam Josephine Nkrumah remarked that, “This day is significant for us because as a country, it is the day we all voted ‘Yes’ massively in support of adopting the draft constitution as we have it in its present form, being the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
“We seek to use this opportunity to remind Ghanaians of our aspirations as a people when we signed on to this constitution,” she added.
She noted that with the constitution often viewed by many as a document that is only for the well educated folks or lawyers, there was the need “that we bring the constitution down to the level of the average Ghanaian to have a better understanding,” adding that “we always want to demystify this.”
“If you look at the mandate of the NCCE, one of its mandates is to create and sustain awareness on the principles and objectives of the constitution in order to sustain democracy.
“So while throughout the year all our programmes are anchored on the provisions of the constitution, during this week, we actually amplify the education on the constitution,” Madam Nkrumah stated.
On the importance of the constitution and the role of the citizenry, the NCCE Chairperson said, “We believe the constitution is also a rallying point for all of us as Ghanaians where it inspires and invokes a sense of national unity for us to assess where we are as a people – whether our aspirations are being met and how we as citizens must pluck into national development by participating actively in governance.
“This year, we want to educate people on our duties as citizens – letting Ghanaians understand what our duties are and getting them to appreciate that the constitution affects our lives each and every day.”
The exercise saw the NCCE Chairperson together with some officials of the Commission throng some principal streets of Accra, where they engaged citizens on the importance of the constitution and distributed copies of same.
There were also some individuals who carried placards bearing various patriotic messages patrolling the streets.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio