30-11-2010 Teachers asked to participate in Upcoming Local Level elections
Teachers have been urged to get involved in the upcoming district assembly elections so as ensure the realisation of their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the country’s constitution. The call was made by the Builsa District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, P.P Apaabey Baba at a GNAT forum held in Sandema in the Builsa District of the Upper East Region. Mr. Apaabey Baba described the forthcoming local level elections slated for 28 December 2010 as crucial, since it has the tendency of promoting good governance through enhanced public participation. He therefore emphasized the need for teachers to get directly involved in the exercise. According to him, if teachers are voted as Assembly or Unit Committee Members, they would bring their zeal and critical mindedness to bear on the deliberative legislature and executive functions of the District assemblies. He said at the Unit Committee level they would utilize their inherent community development skills to facilitate development at that level. Mr. Appabey also bemoaned the practice where people canvass for vote with money which according to him only results in wealthy people getting elected at the disadvantage of women, the unemployed and persons with disability. This, he said, also results in compromising standards as well as quality services and selfless commitments on the part of other people. Mr. Appabey urged teachers to educate community members on the relevance of participating in the upcoming local level elections. he also encouraged teachers to be abreast with the 1992 constitution and also ensure that they uphold the principles of justice freedom, probity and accountability all of which form the basic elements of good governance. Making reference with respect to political objectives of the constitution, Mr. Apaabey Baba said the state through its agencies is enjoined to ensure that Ghana remains a democratic state dedicated to the realization of freedom and justice. Mr. Appabey also in the course of his presentation took participants through the various national symbols particularly the Ghana coat of arm and urged them to constantly remind their pupils of the significance of these symbols as a measure to sustain their naturalistic and patriotic tendencies. Mr. Appabey in his closing remark acknowledged the enormous contributions of teachers towards local development and commended them for actively supporting the various civic education clubs at the school level.
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