Patronize Community Gatherings, Public Urged

Naba Robert Agatwin Akolbilla, the Divisional Chief of the Binduri Traditional Area, has expressed worry over the poor patronage of community durbars.

Naba Akolbilla said poor attendance to community durbars was a threat to the development of communities as such forums were platforms that allowed community members to discuss prevailing concerns of the area.

He said such gatherings would also empower the community members to actively participate in the decision making process in the community.

Naba Akolbilla was speaking at an inter-party dialogue durbar organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with the Ghana News Agency and funded by the European Union(EU), to engage the electorate on emerging issues in the coming elections.

He said it was during such occasions that issues of national interest such as finding ways to promote national peace, eradicating diseases and creating ways to promote uniform development among others were discussed with views from everyone in attendance.

Mr Daniel Baya Laar, the NCCE Director in charge of the Binduri District, said democracy was about ideas and called on politicians and all those campaigning to eschew insults from their deliberations.

He urged the people to actively participate in the durbar as it was a platform to scout for ideas that would help in selecting a good leader for the country.

Mr Laar also called on all attending such durbars to send the information they had gained to friends and family members who were absent.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Joseph Ankrah of the Bawku Municipal Police Command reminded the people of their duties as citizens and urged them to see election security as a shared responsibility among all stakeholders.

He urged the electorate to be law abiding as the law would not condone with anyone who would be found guilty of committing electoral offences.

He said the security agencies were neutral and would provide adequate security in the electoral process.

Mr Daniel Adoliba Akologo, the District Chief Executive (DCE) and Chairman for the District Security Committee (DISEC), said peaceful elections constituted an important ingredient for good governance and democracy but conflict and violence would only destabilize the country and waste resources.

Mr Akologo said the decision by Ghanaians to opt for democracy through the 1992 constitution was a clear manifestation that the views of the people would be genuinely expressed through the ballot box.