The Akuapem South District director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Mr. Owusu Akyaa has charged Ghanaians not to shirk their civic responsibility in the fight to curb corruption in the country.
Speaking at a day seminar organized by his outfit in collaboration with the European Union on social auditing for residents of the area on Monday, the NCCE boss hinted, the fight against corruption would be a mirage if all hands are not put on deck.
To this, he charged Ghanaians particularly the participants who were made up of Community Based Organizations (COBs), Hairdressers, Dressmakers Association among others to be concerned about any activity that would affect their lives negatively.
He continued that, the Akuapem South District NCCE decided to undertake the sensitization engagements which was tailored on rent and housing and social services issues in order to consolidate the gains made through platforms for public discourse.
Participants were taken through the Rent Act 1963 and Social Services such as domestic violence, child abuse and irresponsible behaviors of parents and duty bearers.
The sensitization which is under the theme “Citizens for Transparency and Accountability” aims to drum home promoting discourse among citizens and officer bearers on planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
Mr. Akyaa accentuated that, civic awareness, participation and consensus building must be done before systems of their implementation are enforced which forms the reality checks and watchdog for government and public action.
This, he was of the view that, if done, it would promote community ownership of developmental projects and policies as well as increasing awareness of the operations of the local government and empower the citizenry to demand accountability from duty bearers.
On domestic violence, the Sanahene of Adonten Division of Aburi-Akuapem in the Akuapem South District of the Eastern Region Nana Apeadu Bediako II has described reporting women or wives who beat and domestically abuse their husbands or men to the police as a taboo.
According to the chief of Aburi, “it is culturally and traditionally unacceptable and a taboo to report your wife to the police that she has beaten you since it presuppose that, man is the head of the family”
The Sanahene who doubled as the chairman for the programme without mincing words disclosed that, many men and for that matter husbands are verbally and physically abused by their wives on daily basis.
However, the Ghanaian in him, has suppressed the commitment and readiness to report to the family of the woman or the necessary government institutions for appropriate measures to be taken against the woman.
“Many wives or women use violence to get a reaction and are verbally aggressive with a corresponding demeaning comments, sarcastic and personal attacks”, he added.
He lauded the NCCE for organizing such a seminar since it has thought them things which otherwise they were acting wrongingly and further suggested the inclusion of traditional leaders and officials of the Ghana Education Service.
