Politicians urged not to let money creep into Ghana’s democracy

Mr Laari Bimi, Chairman of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), at the weekend said Ghanaians had been able to sustain peace because they had accepted the common destiny that they share.

Mr Bimi said Ghana was an oasis of peace in Africa and civil educators had to see their roles as crucial in the democratic dispensation.

He said this at an end of year durbar initiated by the lower ranks of the Upper East Regional staff of the NCCE in Bolgatanga.

Mr Bimi said money was becoming the foundation of the country’s democracy where people went to politicians for money in order to vote for them.

He said this was exacerbated by political parties charging fees before substantive parliamentarians were allowed to stand for election.

“This is unfair since it means the poor will not be able to take part in politics,” he said.

Mr Peter H. Mensah, Upper East Regional Director of NCCE, said the commission collaborated with Action Aid Ghana (AIG) in activities of common interest such as Social Auditing, Sustainable Peace Initiative.

He said challenges the Commission faced were inadequate logistics, lack of transport to carry out activities in rural communities and high cost of organizing programmes.

With the spate of high indiscipline and student demonstrations in senior secondary schools, he said, the Commission planned to embark on civic education crusades in schools across the region to sensitize students on indiscipline and procedures for seeking redress.

Source: GNA