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Students urged to ensure peace during elections
Cape Coast, Oct. 31,
Ghanadot/GNA - Tertiary students in the country were on
Thursday, urged to be agents for the promotion of a peaceful
election in their communities.
The Director of Public Education of the National Commission
for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Kwaku Baah Owusu, who made
the call at a forum on “peaceful elections 2008” at the
University of Cape Coast (UCC), stressed that the youth have
a role to play in ensuring the maintenance of peace in the
country.
The forum, on the theme, “elections 2008 and the tertiary
student” was organised by the NCCE with support from the
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and was attended by trainee
teachers, nurses and civil education clubs of the UCC.
Speaking on “the tertiary student, an agent for social
transformation and sustainable peace in an election year and
beyond”, Mr Baah Owusu said the youth must promote peace in
their areas.
He said factors that could generate conflict include
ignorance, disinformation, mischief, injustice and
intolerance.
He said, if they are able to identify these factors, it
could calm tempers and help settle issues amicably to avoid
chaos and advised that they should endeavour to be truthful,
sincere and humble to earn the respect and confidence of
society.
Mr Baah Owusu said the election should be free, fair and
transparent for it to be credible and echoed calls on the
Electoral Commission to ensure that it maintains the trust
of the public by conducting a credible election.
The Central Regional police Commander, Mr Akayire Kamparah
in a speech read for him, asked both supporters of political
parties and the media to refrain from creating the
impression that the country was on the verge of war because
of some few flash points identified.
The Deputy Chairperson of the NCCE, Mrs Augustina Akumanyi,
who presided, said creating a common platform for four of
the country’s presidential candidates to express their view
on issues was a plus for the country’s democracy.
She advised the supporters of all political parties to take
a cue from the cordial relationship between the candidates
and stop creating unnecessary tension in the country.
Mrs Akumanyi also urged the students to play their roles
effectively by educating their communities to embrace peace
at all times to facilitate the country’s progress.
GNA
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