Information officers asked to step up education on election

Cape Coast, Oct 25, GNA - The Central Regional Information Officer, Mr David Appiah-Twum, on Friday said education on peaceful election in December was very crucial in the face of reported incidents of political violence in some parts of the country. He said field staff of the Information Services Department (ISD) has a crucial stake in ensuring peaceful election because it was their duty to educate people to refrain from such acts as nobody would be exempted in the upsurge of violence during or after the December poll.

Mr Appiah-Twum said this at a meeting with district information officers before the commencement of a 10-day public education tour which is expected to cover 1,800 communities in the region. He said the tour formed the third phase of a public education programme designed to educate the populace on government policies, programmes and activities to enlighten them on those policies as well as note their reactions during the exercise.

Mr Appiah-Twum reminded the officers that it was likely some people would refute the messages to be disseminated and entreated them to exercise restraints even in the face of provocations. Apart from peaceful elections, the people will be educated on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Capitation Grant, the free maternal health care, the school feeding programme and the effects of pair trawling.

The officers expressed concern about the attitude of some politicians, particularly members of parliament, who make vain promises to the people during political campaigns. They said this affects their work whenever they embark on public education tours because aggrieved people whose roads are in bad shape, lack potable water, toilet and other facilities, vent their anger on them.

They appealed to politicians to honour their promises during electioneering campaigns to facilitate the smooth execution of the work of the ISD in educating the populace.