Thursday, July 8, 2010

PROVIDE ADEQUATE RESOURCES FOR NCCE (PAGE 35, JULY 8, 2010)

THE Krontihene of Manso-Atwere in the Amansie West District, Nana Owusu Antwi, has called on the government to provide adequate resources to the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to enable it honour its constitutional obligations.
He said it appeared the NCCE had been neglected in terms of budgetary support, a situation, which had prevented it from carrying out its constitutional mandate to the fullest.
Nana Antwi was speaking at a district forum on the review of the Constitution at Manso-Nkwanta.
He said the decision to review the Constitution was a good idea because after 18 years, there was every indication that the document was crying for review to meet the challenges of the time.
Among suggestions that came up at the forum included the need for the review of the retirement age from 60 to 65 to prevent the practice where pensioners were engaged on contract.
Some participants also suggested that the constitutional provision that allowed the biggest percentage of ministers to come from Parliament should be reviewed since the practice was counter productive.
Another suggestion that came up was the need to elect Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.
In a welcoming address, the District Chief Executive, Mr Charles Oti Prempeh, stressed the need for the District Assemblies Common Fund to be reviewed from the current seven per cent to 10 per cent to enable the assemblies implement their development programmes.
He was confident that the Constitutional Review Commission would do a good work, which would benefit the nation in its democratic and development initiatives.
In his remarks, the counsel for the commission, Mr Ernest Owusu, said the review of the constitution represented good housekeeping project for the nation and an attempt by the people to fashion out home-grown solution to the nation’s challenges.

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