Bolgatanga May 8, GNA - Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, has lauded the annual

constitutional week celebration of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) as a means to get people to

participate in the decision making process. He said it was important for the citizenry not to remain aloof about=

the issues of governance since every decision

taken by government affected them. Mr. Woyongo was speaking at the 10th annual constitutional week celebration in the region on the theme:

"Enhancing Constitutionalism through Citizen Participation." He said the setting up of the Constitution Review Commission by Government was aimed at soliciting public views

and opinions to amend certain portions of the legal document found to be inconsistent with the promotion and

enhancement of democracy and good governance in the country. The Regional Minister said the exercise was a clear indication that Government attached importance to participatory

democracy. Mr. Peter Mensah, Regional Director of NCCE, said the commission had=

instituted various programmes to educate

and empower every Ghanaian to participate effectively in the development of the country. During a roundtable on: "Poverty, a threat to constitutionalism and multi party democracy," participants at the

week's celebration were unanimous about the need to use the pursuit of education as a means to arrest poverty in the

North. They therefore impressed upon the Government to set up a special scholarship package for school children in the

area to facilitate education.