Ghana: ‘National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) is broke’

National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) is cash-strapped and this is impeding the smooth running of the Commission, according to the Manhyia South Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, fondly called Napo.

The MP, who is a member of the Special Budget Committee of Parliament, disclosed pathetically that government is not providing the NCCE with adequate funding to carry out its civic education duties. The Manhyia South MP stated that it is not proper that the NCCE is cash-strapped, especially as the country is preparing to go to the polls to elect the next president and parliamentarians this year.

 He therefore entreated the government to provide the needed funds to the NCCE so that it could carry out its mandate of educating the public about their civic and other rights and duties. Ghana, the MP stated, would develop effectively at a rapid rate when crucial bodies such as the NCCE received the needed funding and support from the government.

Napo made these observations in an address to a mammoth crowd when he presented brand new computers to the Kumasi Metro Directorate of the NCCE and the Manhyia District office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on Monday. The MP used part of his share of the HIPC and Common Fund to purchase the computers following a passionate appeal made to him by the GNFS and the NCCE. Mr Mathew Opoku Prempeh also presented a sanitation vehicle (a tricycle) to the Afia Kobi Electoral Area in his constituency to help the residents deal with the sanitary challenges facing them.

 The Kumasi Metro NCCE Director, Kwame Nkrumah, admitted that his outfit lacked key logistics to perform its duties and urged other MPs to emulate Napo’s shining example by supporting the NCCE with logistics. The Manhyia District Commander of the GNFS, Assistant Director Officer Grade 1 Napoleon Andrews, thanked Napo for responding swiftly to an appeal made to him by the GNFS and urged him to continue supporting them.