The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has organised an interfaith sensitisation for churches and mosques to promote peaceful elections, civic rights and responsibilities.
The event, which had the theme “Together We Can Get Involved,” addressed important topics such as hate speech, money in politics, disinformation/misinformation, and promoting religious and ethnic tolerance.
It was intended to equip citizens with the tools they need to actively contribute to preserving peace and stability during the general elections scheduled for December 7.
The commission visited several churches and mosques during its peace campaign, including Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church in Aklomuase, Christ Reminders Church in Abanse, Agormanya Zongo Masjid (Mosque), EP Church in Kpong, Royal House Chapel International in Kpong, New Testament Baptist Church in Kpongunor, and Kpong Masjid (Mosque).
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. David Livingstone Ansah, the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Director of NCCE, said that the engagement was to deepen awareness of the need to prioritise peace throughout this year’s elections.
“Since it’s always hot during election seasons, it’s crucial to spread peace campaign so that people would understand how vital peace is to the advancement of the country,” he stated.
He advised Muslim youth at the Kpong mosque to refrain from defacing posters of political party opponents.
“We must politically tolerate religious diversity and refrain from disseminating false information on social media because doing so can spark riots, violence, and disturbances that could result in the deaths of innocent people,” he added.
He noted that that accepting money from politicians in exchange for votes was equivalent to selling their four years of existence in parliament, saying this is because,
“you can’t approach them for local developmental projects because he has already paid you.”
Mallam Mohammed Ibrahim, the Kpong Imam, cautioned the Muslim community not to allow themselves to be used for electoral violence.
He urged them to go home after voting and return in the evening to witness the counting process once the polls closed on election day.
“Islam is peace, and as peace-loving people, all we do is peace. Thus, we don’t want to see any bloodshed during or after elections,” he said.
Elder David Kemesour of Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church in Aklomuase advocated for increased community engagement and voter education to avoid spoiled ballots during elections.
“Because some people took money from all the aspirants, they are likely to thumbprint on all the candidates from whom they took money and end up spoiling the ballot,” highlighting the importance of educating voters to vote responsibly.
The head pastor of Kpong Royal House Chapel International, Mr. Joseph Asiwame, urged the NCCE to spread their peace message to the ghettos where street gangs congregate.
He stressed that it was crucially important for those people to be educated on the importance of prioritizing peace and understanding the negative consequences of poster defacing such as leading mayhem.