‘Encourage citizenry to participate in referendum’
Alhaji Abdul Saani, the Northern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged religious leaders and traditional authorities to encourage the citizenry to actively participate in the upcoming district level elections and referendum for constitutional amendment.
He explained that citizens’ active participation in the exercise would ensure the election of competent leaders who would be accountable, probity, transparent and drive sustainable growth and development of communities.
Alhaji Saani made the call at the launch of a public sensitisation, education and awareness creation campaign on the district level elections and referendum for the amendment of Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution, slated for December 17, 2019.
He explained that Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution gave the president the mandate to appoint metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives with two-thirds majority approval from the assembly which needed to be amended to enhance inclusive democratic governance and transformational growth and development.
“Article 55 (3) is an entrenched clause and can only be amended with public approval in a national referendum through the district level election and the referendum will require citizens to vote on three issues, the election of unit committee members, assembly members and to Vote “Yes” or “No” for the participation of political parties in the election of metropolitan municipal and district chief executives,” Alhaji Saani intimated.
Lukas Yiryel, the Northern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, said the district level election and referendum would require registered voters to vote on three ballots, unit committee, assembly members and referendum ballots and appealed to electorate to vote in numbers on slated date to propel sustainable growth and development in their respective areas.
Salifu Saeed, the Northern Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, noted that the referendum was government’s vision to enhance and strengthen the decentralisation system at the district level and urged participants to carry out the message to help make the vision a reality.
Kojo Tito, the Secretary to the NCCE, disclosed that the commission conducted research in 2014, which revealed majority of the citizenry preferred metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives were elected, hence the referendum, at least 40 per cent or more out of total registered voters must turn out to vote, out of which 75 per cent or more must vote in favour of referendum. -GNA
