(NCCE) says Ghana stands tall in Africa and many parts of the world when it comes to civic education

The NCCE made this revelation at the media launch of its 30th Anniversary celebrations in Accra.

Addressing the gathering, the Chairman for NCCE, Ms. Kathleen Addy said “Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to civic education, Ghana stands tall in Africa and many parts of the world"

"It is not surprising that every year, the Commission receives delegations from countries on the continent who do not have institutions responsible for Civic Education"

"They come to study our institution and learn from us. Surely, we must be doing something right”

"The NCCE being a creature of the 1992 constitution shares the same birth year with it. Indeed as a country, we have come a long way and in spite of the exigencies of today, we deem it a worthy enough occasion to pause and acknowledge how far we have come and reflect on what we want the future to look like”

“Today, we want to reserve a special remembrance for the framers of the 1992 constitution for having the vision and the foresight to create an institution like the NCCE as a constitutional body with all the protections it enjoys, and to structure it in such a way that it is insulated from politics and political influence"

"It is one thing to set up an institution with a sole mandate of civic education, that alone is visionary. It is however remarkable to structure it as an independent, nonpartisan governance institution in the manner in which it exists today - an institution committed to building the right type of citizens who will build the country we all desire”

Ms. Addy further disclosed that the citizens of Ghana deserve commendation for 30 years of peace and political stability.

“Given where we’re coming from, this is no mean achievement. However, we also have to acknowledge that we live in very perilous times where economic challenges and other difficulties have led to disillusionment and called into question the very democracy that guarantees the freedom that allows us to have this discussion openly today”

“We must never forget the years of instability we experienced for the entire post-colonial period before the onset of the Fourth Republic. Indeed the fourth republic is the fourth republic because it is our fourth attempt at building a republic"

"The three previous attempts were truncated by military interventions that did our country no good. Nothing good came out of the multiple coup d’états we experienced in Ghana"

"Nothing but oppression, fear, widespread atrocities and a culture of silence that those who did not live through the era can never imagine or understand”

“Over the last 30 years, in spite of major challenges encountered, the commission has done its best to fulfill our mandate. A brief glance at our annual reports will show we have, consistently over the years, been among the most poorly funded state institutions, even though the constitution is clear that our operations should be charged to the consolidated fund"

"The reports will also show that every year, without fail, to the best of our ability, we are able to deploy programmes and activities to advance our mandate, which is to promote and sustain Ghana's democracy and inculcate in the Ghanaian citizens, the awareness of their rights and obligations through Civic Education. Our values of Integrity, Presence, and Independence have been the hallmark of the Commission all these years”

“We remain faithful to our function as stated in Article 233 of the constitution and formulate for the consideration of Government, from time to time, programmes at the national, regional, and district levels aimed at realizing the objectives of the 1992 fourth Republican Constitution”

“Formulate, implement and oversee programmes intended to inculcate in the citizens of Ghana awareness of their civic responsibilities and an appreciation of their rights and obligations as free people”

She stressed that Ghana is deservedly acknowledged as a thriving electoral democracy.

“Our success rate in holding free and fair elections is well recognized across the world. Elections, however, are only one feature of democracy"

"Other features are the rule of law, respect for fundamental human rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of association. In addition, a democracy must have active and engaged citizens who are conscious of their rights and responsibilities, and that is where we find our role as NCCE”

“For us, given the current global uncertainties as well as the turbulent political landscape of the West Africa sub-region, we recognize that our work is well cut out and we are fully awake to our responsibilities. How do we ensure that citizens have the civic consciousness and mindset required to remain committed to the cause? How do we ensure citizens adopt the values to respond to the needs of Ghana today?"

"How do we ensure citizens are active participants in governance, in their communities, districts as well as central government? How do we get citizens to understand their rights and responsibilities? How do we equip citizens to hold duty-bearers accountable? In fact, how do we achieve the mindset shift needed to make all of this happen? Indeed, the road ahead is daunting, but we are committed and ready to take on the challenge, and we know we will succeed”

The NCCE noted that as part of a number of activities (year-long) have been planned to commemorate the anniversary celebration including a High-Level Panel discussion with statesmen on the role of IGIs in sustaining our democracy.

“Visits to the three Arms of Government, civic awards to recognise patriotic citizens and nation builders, art competition, fun games"

“The Commission appreciated all past executives of the Commission, Commission Members, staff (past and present) and others who have worked selflessly to contribute to realizing the mandate of the Commission in the past decades”

“The challenges faced by the Commission are already well known, and as we celebrate 30 years of our existence, let's remind ourselves as a nation to adequately support civic education activities in the next decades to harvest a civic-conscious and patriotic society that will contribute meaningfully to national growth and development”