Serve with integrity to sustain nation’s peace - Ebenezer Terlabi to Peace Council Board
The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, has urged members of the Governing Board of the National Peace Council to serve with integrity and proactiveness to help sustain the prevailing peace and stability in the country.
He said they must always place national interest above their deliberations to deepen the harmony in the country.
Mr Terlabi was speaking at an orientation programme organised for members of the Governing Board of NPC to equip and strengthen the capacities of the new board members.
It was on the theme: “Harnessing our diversity for conflict prevention, management, and resolution in Ghana”.
It was also aimed at providing strategic leadership in the council’s role in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and inclusive dialogue, which are key pillars for sustainable peace and stability in the country.
The programme was under the prevention facility for the Gulf of Guinea project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Administering of oath
The deputy minister who also administered the Oath of Office to the chairman of the board, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, said: “Ghanaians are counting on your experience, your intellect and compassion to help maintain and deepen the peace in the country.”
President John Dramani Mahama swore in the reconstituted board on May 7, 2025, in Accra. However, the chairman was not at the event because he had travelled out of the country at the time.
Collaboration
The AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, called for effective collaboration between the National Peace Council (NPC) and the government, civil society organisations, and international partners to enable the council to fulfil its mandate more comprehensively.
He also urged them to focus on funding sources, capacity building, public awareness creation, and technological innovation to ensure the council remained a cornerstone of the country’s peace architecture.
Dr Chambas said the council played a critical role in defining the strategic direction of the NPC and, therefore, must ensure that it adheres to its vision and values while guiding the attainment of its objectives.
Role
The Chairman of the board, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, said the role of the board was to provide strategic leadership, oversight and advocacy, and not to manage the day-to-day operations of the secretariat.
Rev. Fianu, who is also the Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese, said “peace is the silent enabler of progress”, adding that the efforts of the council would directly influence the climate in which development and democratic participation thrive.
Most Rev. Fianu commended the previous board for its contribution and called on the new members to also rise to the occasion.
UNDP support
The Head of Inclusive Growth and Accountable Governance at UNDP Ghana, Dr Edward Ampratwum, reiterated the commitment of his outfit to support the NPC to achieve its mandate of building and sustaining peace across the country.
He said the entire UN Country Team in Ghana was investing in sustaining peace in the country to consolidate Ghana’s position as the beacon of hope in not only the sub-region, but the entire continent in matters of good governance and security.
