NUGS threatens to resist election rigging in December

Nyankpala (NR), Aug. 28, GNA - The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on Thursday assured Ghanaians that it would resist any attempt by any political party to rig the December general election. It said: "The needless violence that characterized the limited voter registration exercise is a clear manifestation that our political leaders cannot be trusted to do what is right when political power is at stake."

Mr. Kweku Tuoho Bombason, the NUGS President, said this when he addressed the 42nd annual delegates' congress of the students' body at the Nyankpala campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS). The five-day congress is on the theme: "Ensuring a peaceful, free and fair election 2008; the role of the student".

The congress would elect new national executives to steer the affairs of the union for the next academic year.

Mr. Bombason said it was incumbent on students to continue to check on politicians to ensure that their ambition to assume leadership roles did not remain a mirage, adding: "There is the need therefore for us not to allow politicians to use us for their own political interests." "I exhort all of you to endeavour to resist any temptation to aid, abet or connive with any person who seeks to rig the election since such an action could be a recipe for disaster" he stressed, adding: "We have a responsibility to avert such a situation."

Mr. Bombason urged the students to be guided by the feasibility and viability of programmes and policies of the various political parties and cast their votes based on informed choices.

"This is necessary because this country must be ruled by capable, transparent and credible persons if our future is to be secured," he said.

Mr. Bombason recounted the achievements of NUGS during his administration and urged those who would emerge as leaders to forge ahead in unity to move the union forward. Mr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), said: "The government has a great deal of faith in the country's democratic process.

"The people have the sovereign power and the government will therefore not do anything to mar the December elections," he said. Mr. Adam urged Ghanaians to pray fervently and work relentless to ensure that the country did not witness any breakdown of law and order, which could lead to a wide-scale destruction of life and property as had happened in some countries in Africa. Professor David Miller, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of UDS who chaired the function, advised the youth to stop referring to themselves as future leaders, they should rather consider themselves as leaders of today and the future and work hard towards this goal. 28 Aug 08