The Tano South District Directorate of the National
Commission on Civic Education in collaboration with the Tano South District
Assembly has organized a peace walk in Bechem in preparation towards the
attainment of peace in the district before, during and after the pronouncement
of the final verdict of the election 2012 petition case pending before the
supreme court of Ghana.
The peace walk which saw members of all political parties,
chiefs, opinion leaders, religious heads and Muslims alike with placards some
of which read “peace peace peace”, “accept the verdict”, “peace not war”
walking through the principal street of Bechem amid brass band music.
In messages in support of the attainment of peace delivered
by the constituency chairmen of various political parties, Mr. Asare Antwi of
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said, the New Patriotic Party believed in the
rule of law hence their petition to the supreme court challenging he results of
the presidential polls of 2012 as announced by the electoral commissioner, Dr.
Kwadwo Afari Gyan and promised that his party is ever prepared to accept the
verdict of the supreme court judges in good faith.
The zonal chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC),
Mr. Kofi Mensah on the other hand also stressed that members of his party in
the constituency is also committed in accepting the final verdict of the
supreme court and hinted that Ghana is the only country we have and for that
matter Ghanaians must live in peace as one people no matter their political
differences.
In a speech, the Tano South District Director of the NCCE Ms.
Cynthia Animah Boadu said the 1992 constitution of the republic of Ghana
mandates that results of elections could be challenged at the supreme court of
Ghana for redress and for that matter going to court on election petition does
not mean that the country must be tend into chaos and stress that the country
has enjoyed an enviable peace since the beginning of the supreme court case and
appealed to all and sundry to accept the final verdict of the supreme court. Ms. Animah cited Rwanda, Ivory Coast, and
Liberia as countries which have experience wars and lamented on how they
suffered and called for total peace in the country.
The Tano South District Chief Executive (DCE) Hon. Bukari
Zakari Anaba in a short speech said that no one is above the laws of the land
no matter his/her religious, political or ethnic background and for that reason
verdict of our court are to be obeyed and therefore the final verdict of the
supreme court is no exception which should be seen as a different thing all
together. He said people should not take
advantage of the nature of the court case which is an election petition and
take the laws into their own hands and misbehave since the law enforcement
agencies would not spare such people.
Hon. Anaba called on all not to entertain any fear when they
see the security personnel patrolling the town or some part of the district
since they are part of measures put in place to bring peace and harmony to the
people and urged supporters of both the NDC and NPP to be very circumspect in
their utterances before, during and after the supreme court verdict. The Hon. DCE called on the people to be on
the lookout for people who are creating fear and panic in the people since some
of these tactics are tricks used by robbers to take advantage and rob innocent
people and warned those people that the security agencies are highly on the
alert for them.
