NCCE Educates Public on Human Rights and Respect for Fundamental Freedoms

The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged the public to respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of others while exercising their own rights.

Speaking in an interview with Boahemaa Akoh on Garden City Television's Anopa Bosuo program, the Ashanti Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr. Awal Iddrisu, explained that rights are entitlements or freedoms that individuals are permitted to have or exercise within legal, social, and ethical frameworks.

He stated that rights exist in different forms, including human rights and animal rights, and described human rights as the freedoms and privileges that every individual enjoys simply by virtue of being human. According to him, these rights are inalienable and cannot ordinarily be taken away except in circumstances permitted by law.

Mr. Iddrisu called on the public, especially those in positions of authority, to ensure that people are allowed to enjoy their rights to the fullest extent possible. He explained that one of the defining characteristics of human rights is their indivisibility, stressing that no fundamental right should be enjoyed at the expense of another.

To illustrate this principle, he cited the case of Tyron Marghuy, the Rastafarian student who, in 2021, was admitted to Achimota School but was initially directed to cut his dreadlocks before being enrolled. He noted that the High Court's decision in the case affirmed that the right to education must be enjoyed alongside other constitutional rights, including the freedom of religion and culture.

The Regional Director further advised school authorities to uphold discipline in educational institutions without resorting to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, as prohibited under Articles 15 and 28(4) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Explaining the interdependence of human rights, Mr. Iddrisu observed that individuals who lack access to education or information may be unable to effectively exercise other rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of conscience. He reiterated that human rights are fundamental and inalienable and can only be limited in exceptional circumstances prescribed by law.

On the issue of human rights violations, Mr. Iddrisu recounted an incident he had witnessed earlier that morning while travelling on a bus. He narrated that despite repeated appeals from passengers to lower the volume of loud music so that a fellow passenger could make an important phone call, the driver refused to do so. He described the driver's conduct as inconsiderate and an infringement on the rights of others, urging Ghanaians to always respect the rights of fellow citizens while exercising their own freedoms.

Before concluding the interview, Mr. Iddrisu expressed his deepest condolences to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) fraternity following the passing of their colleague, Lawyer Kwabena Abayie Yeboah. He also conveyed the condolences of the NCCE Ashanti Regional Directorate to the people of Dagbon on the passing of the late Yaa Naa Abukari II.