NCCE ENGAGES WITH THE GHANA REVENUE AUTHORITY

The National Commission for Civic Education has begun its encounter with Security personnel as the Commission observes the 2017 Constitution Week celebration. Ghana’s Constitution is 25 years now and this among other activities seeks to commemorate the week’s celebration. The meeting with some selected officers of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is the first in a series of scheduled meetings with other Security officers across the country.

The Commission has chosen the theme “RESTORING THE GHANAIAN IDENTITY: OUR VALUES, OUR PASSION” for the year 2017 to remind Ghanaians that it is about time Ghanaians embraced the values that define us and protect our identity as a nation. The purpose of the engagement is intended to remind security officers to respect the law, authority, champion healthy sanitation practices, courtesy, integrity, honesty, and countless values that best define Ghanaians. Disrespect for law and order, evasion of taxes, indiscipline on our roads, corruption, etc are all acts of indiscipline that must be checked. The theme will, therefore, rekindle the old values of discipline and love for Ghana.

The Director of Programmes at NCCE, Johnson Opoku, took participating officers through the relevance of 28^th April 1992. He explained that the 1992 constitution was adopted through a referendum by the people of Ghana on the 28^th of April hence the importance the NCCE places on the date. He recounted the numerous coup d’états and military regimes that Ghana has experienced and called on the security officers to protect and sustain the 1992 Constitution to have a responsible and law-abiding society. He said the NCCE came up with the programme, Constitution Week to educate all stakeholders on the relevance of the Constitution.

Mr. Opoku outlined upcoming events for the year. These are Citizenship Week, Engagements with security agencies, National Dialogue series, E-Quiz and Spelling Bee contest for second cycle schools.

The GRA officers made some meaningful contributions at the programme. These are;

Introduce moral education books such as “Courtesy for boys and girls” and “Civics” back in schools.

Government to resource the NCCE adequately to enable it to carry out its mandate effectively.

Ghana Education Service (GES) must liaise with the NCCE to introduce civic education programmes at the Junior High Schools (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) levels.

The media must air more educational programme bordering on traditions / local content such as the old TV programme “By the fire side”.

The officers stressed that, all efforts by the NCCE cannot be realized until Ghanaians change their attitude towards nationalism and patriotism.