THE PEACE TRAIN ARRIVES AT ADAESO IN THE EASTERN REGION
The community youth peace durbar took a different turn on Sunday the 8th of November, 2020, when the peace train got to the Eastern Region. Amidst heavy rain and thunder clouds, the auditorium of the Adeiso Central Assembly of the Church of Pentecost was filled to capacity for the commencement of the program. The program which was slated to start at 2:00pm had to start early due to the large crowd gathered.
The aim of this collaboration with the Peace Council of Ghana is to foster sense of democratic responsibility, devoid of chaos, anarchy, violence among the youth before during and after this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
In attendance were the District Police Commander, ASP Alfred Baffour Awuah, Mr. Gideon Ayambilla, Ms. Gifty Ponya both from the Ghana Immigration Service, Mr. John Selasi from the National Commission on Civic Education, Mr. Agyemang Anima a security coordinator, Ms. Feliciaa. Avarade from the district electoral commission, Mr. Albert Fedah from the Ghana National fire service, Rev. Stephen Amartey from the Regional Christian Council, Rev. Michael Kudaya from the Global Evangelical Church, members of the district Ghana National Association of Tailors and dressmakers association, Lamp Choral, Psalm 22 fun club, representatives of the district national ambulance service, representatives of the national Democratic Congress, Convention People’s Party, the New Patriotic Party, the Islamic Community and the general public.
The district chief executive welcomed both the team made up of representatives from the national cadet corps Ghana, the national peace council and the various groups and association gathered. In his welcome address he was grateful for such a time and a program. In his speech he emphasized the need for peace and coexistence amongst al devoid of rancor and chaos irrespective of the political affiliations. Ghana will have only one president within a period, it will take one thumb to vote and we all have just one life to live, he admonished the gathering not to lose their lives or be incapacitated before during the elections just because their views or opinions are not understood by the other party.
Virtual Peace messages intermittently were played from the chairman of the church of Pentecost, Apostle General Sam Korankye Ankrah, the first vice chairman of the Christian Council and the Chairman of the Christian council of Ghana Most Rev. Prof. Paul Kwabena Boafo.
The Adeiso District Police Commander ASP Alfred Baffour Awuah, fully assured the crowd of their professional readiness as a force to ensure maximum security in the discharge of their duty before during and after the elections. He reiterated that they will not relent on their efforts to ensuring that the eastern region becomes on of the most peaceful regions in the country.
During the interactive questions and answers segment, questions that has always been asked in almost all fourteen regions include the silence of the National Peace Council unless during elections, the processes a voter needs to go through before casting their votes, whether mobile phones could be taken to the centers during voting, if one could stay the whole day till evening before the ballot’s papers were counted, the preparedness of the Ghana Ambulance Service for the elections, the emergency contacts in case of any eventualities and any reliable place to lodge any complaints or when they detects some irregularities in their societies, what to do when they are influenced with money by politicians to perpetrate violence within or even after these political periods.
In addressing all the questions respectively from the representatives and head various institutions, Rev. Stephen Amartey from the Christian Council responded by telling the gathering that the democratic responsibility of every citizen should be made based on issues and not influenced by money, anyone politician who wants to influence ones decision with money is not right, the individual may decide to take the money and respond otherwise or outrightly reject the money. He further stated that the National peace council works mostly as mediators in so many national, traditional, tribal and chieftaincy matter but is always in the quiet because of the sensitivity of the issues.
Ms. Felicia Avarade from the district electoral commission on her turn made it clear that voters on the day on the election would have to follow the procedures that the trained electoral officers would be guiding them through, mobile phones could be brought to the centers but should not be used to take photos of which individual one is voting for, taking pictures of electoral proceedings or of people that are in to vote with any parochial motive. After an individual has casted his or ballot, he or she could go home, wait till evening when time is due for counting to witness and jubilate with their own.
SAEMT Ishmael Acquah from the National Ambulance Service also told the gathering that the Ambulance service is ever prepared and on standby to attend to any eventualities and causalities should they come up. Their emergency lines 112 is always active and responsive should they call. Should they observe, detect or be introduced to any group of individuals to cause any form of unsteadiness within the municipalities, they could either report to the police commander in a quiet note or to a designated officer at the district assembly.
The National cadet Coordinator General, also the team leader for the Community youth peace durbar in a vote of thanks said that the youth holds the future of the nation and are those that are mostly manipulated to do the wrong. Ghana is our country and have no where else to call Ghana. We the youth should uphold the virtues of unity, patriotism, loyalty and love for one another. The program came to a close with all singing the national youth anthem “Arise Ghana Youth For your Country”.
