Accra, July 02, GNA — Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Peace Council (NPC) says peace building is a never-ending process requiring a never-ending effort by all citizens.
He said the whole of Africa and the international community looked up to Ghana as the beacon and symbol of peace as such, the nation could not afford to disappoint them.
Rev Adu-Gyamfi made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the
National Stakeholders’ Dialogue organized by NPC and the Commonwealth Secretariat, at Ada in Accra.
National Stakeholders’ Dialogue organized by NPC and the Commonwealth Secretariat, at Ada in Accra.
The 3-day event is on the theme: “Countering Post-Election 2020 violence and building consensus for greater political tolerance in Ghana.”
The programme is engaging government officials, the leadership of political parties, religious bodies, Civil Society Organizations and the international community to navigate a new pathway of national cohesion for Ghana.
It is also to ensure that the unfortunate recurrence of unnecessary tensions, threats of violence and destructions of lives and property, before, during and after elections in the country are eliminated.
The Chairman said the first task of the Eminent Members of the Governing Board after its inauguration on November 10, 2020, was to strategize together with partners to ensure a peaceful December 2020 election, which was only a month away from the day of inauguration.
He said despite the many challenges the nation faced, the NPC and its partners committed themselves to ensure that political vigilantism, which was denting the otherwise good image of Ghana, as the oasis of peace in the West Africa subregion, was contained during the election.
Rev Adu-Gyamfi said the NPC carried out targeted advocacy and peace campaigns in over 120 constituencies identified as hotspots ahead of the 2020 election.
He said the Council through those programmes educated the people on the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019, (Act 999), the roadmap for the eradication of Vigilantism and the Code of Conduct.
The Council also engaged Constituency Executives of registered political parties in over 100 constituencies across the country ahead of the 2020 general elections.
Rev Adu-Gyamfi said despite all the efforts by the Council and the numerous contributions by both State and non-state actors, the country still recorded some incidents of election violence and destruction of property.
He said the NPC had completed dialogues in five constituencies with support from the Commonwealth as part of the project.
The exercises took place in Odododiodio, Ablekuma Central, Kasoa, Techiman South and Savelugu constituencies.
The Chairman said useful lessons and recommendations had been documented to serve as a guide for national dialogue and to inform national policy.
“These interventions that the Peace Council is undertaking, aside contributing to building tolerance and consensus, is also aimed at strengthening mechanisms for inter and intra-party dialogues, as well as deepening trust and confidence in key state institutions responsible for elections, investigations, and prosecution of election-related offences in the country,” he said.
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