NCCE TO WORK FOR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY — MRS AFUTU (PAGE 14, MAY 24, 2010)

The Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Joyce Benedicta Afutu, has reaffirmed the NCCE’s commitment to ensure that constitutional democracy and effective citizen participation in governance is achieved.
She said this would be the basis for true national stability and prosperity attained through vigorous civic education delivery.
Mrs Afutu was addressing officers and men of security services in the region at a forum in Tema to mark the Greater Accra Regional NCCE is 10th annual constitution week celebration.
The well attended forum had participants drawn from the Military, Navy, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, Police, Immigration and the Fire Service.
She appealed to government agencies mandated by the Constitution to defend the nation and maintain law and order to work harder to maintain the Constitution of Ghana .
Mrs Afutu observed that the country had made some constitutional gains which must be consolidated in the quest to make Ghana the beacon of democracy in Africa .
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Kempes Ofosuware, in a speech read on his behalf commended the security services for acquitting themselves creditably in the present constitutional dispensation which had brought peace to the country.
He was of the view that the government would do everything possible to equip the security services to ensure that the people of Ghana lived in absolute peace and security.
Mr Ofosuware noted that the forum would promote participatory local governance to strengthen civil–security relations.
He appealed to the NCCE to project the constitutional rights of the security and civil society.
In a presentation on the topic ‘ The Role of the Security Services in Consolidating the gains made by the 1992 Constitution’ the Flag Officer Commanding the 1st Garrison, Commodore Albert Addison, noted that it was time the security services were guided by the tenets of the Constitution to avoid being misled as a result of ignorance.
He noted that some gains of the 4th Republic included free and fair elections, good governance, rule of law, freedom of speech, economic development, conflict management and cordial civil –military relations, which Commodore Addison said must be cherished and protected.
Commodore Addison commended the security services for having performed well regardless of the challenges they have had to deal with.
He congratulated the government for the launch of the five year strategic National Policing Plan which aims to transform the service, and enumerated some of the roles of the security services which included disaster management and rescue operations which needed vehicles and other resources.
He was optimistic that with constant education, the security services and citizenry in general would understand the Constitution and know their rights .