Ga East Ncce holds durbar on district level elections
The Ga East Municipal Office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has held a Focus Group Discussion on the upcoming district level elections at Abokobi. The discussion was followed with a durbar at Old Ashongman in Accra.
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Issues discussed included ways for a peaceful conduct of the elections, inclusion of marginalised groups in the electoral process and channels for addressing public apathy towards the district level elections.
The Ga East Municipal Director of the NCCE, Ms Margaret Mamle Kodji, maintained that the concept underlying decentralisation, which is to address the needs of people at the district level, as well as facilitate rapid development of various districts in the country was still tenable.
She said it was important that people understood issues at stake, including the demand to have in the assemblies representatives with vision.
The Greater Accra Regional Director of NCCE, Mrs Lucille Annan, said women must be encouraged to participate in the electoral process and also offer themselves for leadership positions.
Mr Isaac Darko, a retired public servant and opinion leader, presented findings from the focus group discussions to the wider community.
He urged assembly members to meet with residents regularly as a way of being visible to the electorate at all times.
Mr Nyarko further urged the government and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies(MMCEs) to support the NCCE in its work.
The Chief of Abokobi, Nii Samuel Adjetey Mohenu, and the Chief of Papao, Nii Annag Ofori I, both of whom co-chaired the function, said it was refreshing to have members of the community meet to discuss their concerns and seek solutions to them.
Nii Mohenu commended the NCCE particularly for offering the platform and asked for sustained educational programmes to enlighten the citizenry.
A number of the participants observed that unlike the presidential and parliamentary elections, low publicity and the poor performance of some assembly members had contributed to the low interest in district assembly elections.
The people called for the discontinuation of discrimination against women and stigmatisation of the physically challenged.