Kathleen Addy, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called on faith-based organisations to unite in faith and be peace ambassadors for the 2024 general elections.

Madam Addy emphasised that religious bodies have crucial roles to play in ensuring peaceful elections, urging them to be agents of peace before, during, and after the elections.

She said this when she visited the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and Mary Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, both in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Municipality.

She was accompanied by Ms. Gloria A. Kudo, NCCE’s Greater Accra Deputy Regional Director, Mr. Edem Afeeva, the NCCE’s Ayawaso West Municipal Director, and some staff of the Commission.

She mentioned that information gathered from sources indicated that religious intolerance was creeping into some societies, which could further fuel tension and conflict between the various religious groups, stressing the need to mitigate these risks and promote peaceful coexistence.

The NCCE chairperson emphasised the need for Ghanaians to obtain election news from credible sources to prevent fear and panic during the election.

She mentioned that fake news has a devastating effect on elections as it erodes people’s confidence in the electoral process, stating that the internet should be used to transform or better the lives of people rather than championing negative activities.

Madam Addy urged Ghanaians not to compromise their rights to choose leaders who truly represent their interests by not selling their votes, stressing that “politicians who give you money to vote for them will take back their money from the state’s purse, and you will be deprived of development.”

The NCCE chairperson condemned the use of violence and intemperate language and called on all segments of society to frown on it, cautioning that Ghanaians must not allow the bad nuts in the various social groups to poison the entire society with their activities.

She mentioned that the NCCE, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the National Media Commission (NMC) are independent governance institutions that are mandated to play critical roles in the Fourth Republic, adding that the commission would continue to play its role in educating Ghanaians for good governance and on other civic issues.