The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has organised a sensitisation programme to educate students of Nyakrom Senior High Technical and Siddiqq Senior High Schools who are first time voters, on election corruption and violence.
The Coalition explained that voting was the civic responsibility of all Ghanaians with sound mind, from 18 years and above to vote for the party that had good policies and programmes which would inure to the transformation of human lives and infrastructural development.
Addressing the students, Mr Samuel Harrison Cudjoe, the Programmes Manager of GACC, admonished the students to desist from indulging in acts tantamount to election corruption and violence.
Such negative activities, Mr Cudjoe enumerated, included taking money from political party leaders, inducement to snatch ballot boxes and acts of violence, which drew the socio-economic growth of the nation backwards.
He said politicians who spent huge amounts to attract votes, eventually recover whatever amount of money pumped into the election from the national kitty after getting the nod to lead.
Mr Cudjoe said it was the cardinal mandate of the GACC to focus its work on ensuring the integrity of general elections to enhance Ghana’s democratic governance credentials and economic growth.
He said the GACC would continue to encourage Ghanaian voters, especially the first time voters to try as much as possible to do away with negative tendencies that could affect the socio-economic advancement of the country.
Mr Annobil Forson, Agona West Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) educated the students on the dos and don’ts of the electoral processes to become abreast with the implications of electoral offences.
The Municipal Director of EC said it was an offence as voters to use their phones take a picture of their votes to show the candidate they voted for to others.
He indicated that it was against the electoral rules and regulations for minors to register as a voter and that perpetrators when caught, would face the full vigorous of the law.
Mr Annobil Forson cautioned the students against multiple voting which was a punishable offence and therefore called on the students to abide by the laws to avert imprisonment or fines from law court.
Mr Abubakar Al-Hassan Adams, Agona West Secretary of LANET, said the organization had partnered the GACC over the years to champion the cause to educate targeted groups, particularly, students at the tertiary level who have attained 18 years and above against election corruption, violence, and many others.
He noted that LANET had extended its education on election related matters that concerned first time voter students in the beneficiary schools to educate them on their role to facilitate incident- free elections.
He added his voice to calls to them to reject monetary inducements from politicians to enable them demand accountability and other developmental projects such as roads, schools, clinics, and other social amenities from politicians when they won power.
Mr Adams urged all Ghanaians to endeavour to protect the integrity of the general election and eschew any action that dent the image of the country.
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