NCCE celebrates citizenship week with Wa East basic school pupils

The Wa East National Commission for Civic Education NCCE) has engaged pupils in basic schools in this year’s citizenship week celebration to educate young Ghanaians on issues of national concern relevant to the country’s Constitution.

A total of 8,175 pupils comprising 4,092 boys and 4,083 girls from 51 basic Schools participated in the celebration which was on the theme: “A clean Ghana, our responsibility”.

The week is an annual flashing programme of the Commission with support from the European Union to sensitize Ghanaians on key national issues relevant to the 1992 Constitution.

The celebration among other things reminded pupils in basic schools of their core responsibilities as active citizens to play their roles in order to strengthen Ghana’s democracy.

Also, it provided the platform for senior citizens and “influential people” to mentor young citizens to be more responsible now and in the future.

Addressing the pupils at various centres, the Wa East District Director of NCCE, Mr. Luke D. Wiedong, said the Commission chose this theme to drum home the adverse effects of plastics and filth on the environment.

He noted that the plastic waste menace was a major national challenge, which required immediate attention to avert further damage on the environment; else, the future generation would suffer the consequences of plastic waste generated daily and poorly managed.

He called on the pupils to be agents of environmental change in schools and in their respective communities.

Making Ghana clean and the Wa East District for that matter was a shared responsibility, he added.

The pupils were advised to separate waste both at home and in the schools before disposing off.

A resource person of the Wa East District Education Office, Mr. Timothy N-beenaba, encouraged the pupils to contribute immensely to the well-being of their communities, schools and the District by limiting the use of plastics and opting for biodegradable such as paper bags.

By so doing, he said, the environment would be protected and safeguarded.

Mr. N-beenaba called for attitudinal and behavioural change regarding the use and management of plastics and related ones.

He urged the pupils to refrain from dumping plastic waste haphazardly but at designated points to keep the District clean.

He said what matters most was what “you do with the polythene bags when you buy food and items from stores and in the market places”.

The Schools engaged were Manwe E/A JHS, Bulenga D/A JHS, Bulenga D/A Primary A and B, St. Augustine’s R/C JHS, Sogla D/A Prmary, Gudayiri D/A JHS and Primary, Yaru E/A JHS and Primary.

Others included Zinye E/A JHS and Primary, St. John’s R/C JHS, Girls Model JHS, Funsi, Jumo D/A JHS and Primary, Buffiama D/A JHS and Primary, Yaala D/A JHS, Yaala D/A Primary, among others.