Vote for competence above other considerations - NCCE boss to electorate

The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kathleen Addy, has called on voters to look beyond money, ethnic and religious considerations to vote on December 7.

She said the electorate must vote based on the competence and plans of candidates.

The NCCE chairperson said this would enrich the country’s democratic credentials and spur development.

“The criteria for that vote should not be money, should not be religion, should not be even ethical considerations because as a country, we should have gone past that by now. The days of strongholds and territories should be behind us.

“Voting is more than just a right; it is a civic duty, a means to shape governance and hold our leaders accountable,” she said in her presentation on the topic, “Civic engagement: voting, participating in democracy and staying informed.” She was speaking at a two-day annual conference organised by the Ghana Chapter of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists last

Saturday on the theme: “The voice of the people: elections for a more responsive government”.

It was chaired by a Business Development Consultant, Daniel Dugan, and brought together public social scientists to examine political, social and economic realities using empirical data, the church’s social teaching and natural law.

The conference aimed to reshape minds and orient participants towards the well-being of the country ahead of the December 7 election. 

Civic duty

Ms Addy explained that protecting and defending the country’s democracy was the civic duty of every Ghanaian, adding, “Many of the problems we face as a country will decline if we all play our role in this democracy creditably”.

She called on religious leaders to be courageous and call out political leaders and hold them accountable.

“If you have a leader and that person is on television threatening the whole country and doing all these terrible things yet they have a church, a pastor, a father they go to, and sit at the front row.

“We let them sit and never call them to order or hold them accountable. That kind of trying to hold people accountable in the social context is more powerful than law, so how are we going to end bad behaviour if we reward bad behaviour?” she questioned.

To ensure peace in the upcoming election, the NCCE chairperson said the Commission was working with religious leaders, including the Catholic Bishops Conference and the Chief Imam’s Office, among others, to sensitise the public to practical steps towards attaining peace.

Aside from these, she said the Commission was also, in its public engagement, focusing on four key areas – monetisation in politics, violence and intemperate language, misinformation and fake news and religious tolerance.

On religious tolerance, she called for unity among various ethnic groups, adding, “We must not allow politics to divide us along religious lines,” she stated, stressing that sectarian sentiments foster division and could lead to broader societal issues such as discrimination in schools and public spaces.