Avoid electing assembly members with contentious characters–NCCE

Lina Bensah, the Programme Officer of the Ketu South National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has advised the citizenry to avoid electing candidates with contentious characters in the district assembly and unit committee elections.

Instead, they should search for humble, community-oriented and people-centered candidates they could rely on all time since many constituents had regretted voting for such individuals in the past.

Ms Bensah, made the call at a day’s Town Hall meeting, organised by the Keta-Akatsi Roman Catholic Diocesan Peace and Justice Commission (KARCDPJC) at Aflao in the Volta Region on the theme, ‘Community participation in local governance for rapid and sustainable development’.

She urged the public to fully participate in the district and unit committee elections on December 17, which coincided with the referendum seeking part amendment to the 1992 Constitution to allow the election of district chief executives.

 “Though there is room for voting out disgruntled assembly and unit committee members, no area has ever been able to do so, it is better the right persons were elected,” she noted and expressed concern over the public disinterestedness to fora organised by the commission to educate and sensitise the citizenry on its mandate.

“Due to ignorance, wrongful accusation of assembly members of not building schools, roads, members are just links between them and assemblies, collaborating with other stakeholders for growth, development, monitoring and invite the commission to programmes to educate and sensitise you on national issues at no cost.”

Philip Adzomadi, the Ketu North Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission, urged the public to register once for elections, avoid malpractices and obstruct no one from registering or voting.

Joseph Ametordzi, theKARCDPJC Coordinator, indicated that the meeting was to help educate and sensitise the citizenry on their roles in governance processes and not to leave the assembly and unit committee members, Members of Parliament and presidency to run the system on their own after elections.

He admonished people to keep demanding from the elected to act on their campaign promises, but it is not the case and worrying. -myjoyonline.com