NCCE expresses worry over rising political temperature

Koforidua, June 11, GNA - The Eastern Regional Secretariat of the National Commission on Civic

Education (NCCE) has expressed worry over the rising political temperature as a result of intemperate

language and political manoeuvres by some politicians although 2010 is not an election year. A statement signed by Mr Eric Bortey, the Eastern Regional Director of the NCCE, said Ghanaians

elected the current government barely two years ago and one had expected there would be some space

for the new regime to carry through its plans and programmes. "In our view, having now settled down to rule by way of appointments to all critical positions this

period is the time for minority parties and indeed, all Ghanaians to play their roles by helping

government carry out its basic function of governing this country" The statement said this could be done through constructive criticism and concrete suggestions. It said it was its belief that the fundamental duty for which the government was elected was to

secure for all Ghanaians, food, clothing and shelter, the basic necessities of life. "As we talk, children who are expected to be in the classrooms are engaged in hazardous work;

pregnant women die on daily basis due to lack of basic health infrastructure; our young and beautiful

girls are into formal and informal prostitution". "School children in the rural areas have little or no hope of passing their Basic Education Certificate

Examination (BECE) let alone making it up to the tertiary level of education; our agriculture is rain fed;

there are no jobs for graduate students; workers are poorly paid".

The statement said those were the critical issues that must engage the attention of all Ghanaians,

including the government and minority parties, in order to find solutions to them. It said in the midst of all those problems, some politicians and political parties were declaring that

2012 elections would be a "do or die affair" The statement said Ghana had come a long way since 1992, when out of their own free will,

Ghanaians elected the first constitutional government democratically. It said since then as a people Ghanaians had successfully gone to the polls to elect governments in

1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. "Of all these elections, 2008 was the most difficult because even after the second round of voting,

there was no clear winner and one constituency-Tain, was used to determine the winner" The statement said even under those extreme and trying circumstances, Ghana did not break up. The statement urged all political parties to be circumspect in their pronouncements and be mindful

of the fact that Ghanaians had an elected and lawful government in place, with the responsibility of

providing daily needs of food, clothing and shelter. It called on the media, particularly, the radio stations and the numerous tabloids to minimize their

emphasis on politics and rather bring to the fore and to the attention of government and political

parties, issues of misery, abject poverty, illiteracy and lack of opportunities for the people. "These are issues that threaten our democratic dispensation in so far as they touch on national

security and stability".