Rise above partisanship - President Mahama tasks National Peace Council
President John Mahama has urged members of the re-constituted National Peace Council (NPC) to rise above partisanship and build public trust to sustain the peace and development of the country.
"Ghanaians are calling on you to rise above partisanship, resist manipulation and become the custodian of our peace and the nation's conscience," he stated.
President Mahama said this when he inaugurated the reconstituted 13-member Governing Board of the NPC under the Chairmanship of Reverend (Rev.) Father Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, the Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese, last Wednesday.
Members
Other members of the council include the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye; the Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Hilliard Dela Dogbe, and the Founder of Family Chapel International, Bishop Dr Victor Osei.
Others are Ameer (Head) and Missionary in-charge of Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Alhaji Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih; the Chairman, National Representative Assembly of Ahlussunna Wal Jama'a-Ghana, Sheikh Salman Mohammed Alhassan, and the Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu.
The rest are Numo Blafo Akotia Omaetu III, representative of Practitioners of African Traditional Religions; Madam Linda Teye, Dr Abubakar Umar Alhassan, Georgette Francois, Madam Susan Aryeetey and Nana Effah-Apenteng.
Function
The NPC is an independent statutory national peace institution, established by the National Peace Council Act, 2011, with a core function to prevent, manage and resolve conflict and to build sustainable peace.
It is under the Ministry for the Interior.
Collaboration
President Mahama stressed the need for the council to deepen its collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission, Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), traditional and religious authorities.
He also called for the institutionalisation of pre-election dialogue platforms.
Bawku
President Mahama expressed concern over chieftaincy disputes, citing the protracted Bawku conflict, and urged the NPC to complement ongoing mediation talks to secure a lasting solution.
"Violence in Bawku has claimed numerous lives and displaced several households," he said, stressing the importance of maintaining the country's image as an oasis of peace in the sub-region.
Post-elections conflict
The Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, for his part, said volatile constituencies, such as Asutifi South and Asunafo North, which had historically experienced post-election conflicts, had remained calm following the recent elections.
However, he acknowledged some disturbances in constituencies such as Damongo and Ablekuma North.
The minister gave an assurance that the NPC, with the support of his Ministry, would work with stakeholders to address any challenges arising from the 2024 elections.
He emphasised the NPC's efforts to bring stakeholders together to review the 2024 elections and develop strategies for more effective cooperation among political parties and governance stakeholders.
He stated that in a significant recognition by the international community, the Global Action Against Mass Atrocity Crimes (GAAMAC) had proposed that Ghana Chairs the organisation and host it as well.
That, he said, meant that in a few months to come, the headquarters of the GAAMAC would be moved from Switzerland to Ghana.
