The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, Mr George Krobea Asante, stated that Ghana will not burn before, during and after the elections.
He observed that some people phone in on radio and TV stations and say fire will break during this year’s election.
He was of the strong belief that the country will not burn, adding that people will vote, the votes would be counted and the results would be declared peacefully and the country will not burn.
Mr George Krobea Asante made the declaration at the launch of Atinka Media Village’s election flagship programme, Abatuo Fie.
Abatuo Fie
Atinka Media Village on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 launched its election coverage programme, Abatuo Fie in a grand style at the Sika Hall.
The programme offers a platform for political actors and electorates to interact before the much-anticipated general elections. It provides the most intricate, minute, and infinitesimal details worth knowing about the various constituencies as far as voting patterns and trajectories are concerned.
Abatuo Fie launch was attended by dignitaries including representatives from various political parties, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the National Commission for Civic Education, and crucial stakeholders in the country.
A team of competent and intelligent Presenters tasked to champion the programme were also unveiled.
Read Also: 60 Days to Dec. 7: Atinka Media Village launches Abatuo Fie
Tobinco Group on Peace
The Group Financial Controller of the Tobinco Group of Companies, Mr Daniel Gyapanin, emphasized the need for peace to prevail in the country during electioneering.
Without peace, he said one cannot have the peace of mind to do business and that will also affect the economy.
“That is why we must all prepare for a peaceful election. It is all about peace, so that workers will work peacefully so that the country will also be at peace,” he said.
Mr Daniel Gyapanin, therefore called on all stakeholders including political parties, religious leaders, groups, supporters, students to go and cast their votes and go back home to ensure that there is peace during and after the elections.
NCCE
For her part, A Representative of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), who is the Deputy Regional Director for Greater Accra Region, Gloria Amarkie Kudo urged stakeholders whether Christians, Muslims, traditional leaders, politicians, to ensure that whatever they say during electioneering will bring unity.
She also spoke against media persons who openly support and or predict winners when it is not their duty to do so.
She urged all to come on board to ensure peaceful elections.
Ghana Journalists Association
The Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mrs Linda Asante Agyei, who used Rwanda as an example of what war can do to a country, urged Ghanaians to ensure there is peace during electioneering.
“Let us look at what happened in Rwanda, we will always use what happened in Rwanda as an example. It is something someone said behind the microphone, Let us remember the citizens feel whatever they hear on the radio is the truth and our principles are to educate, inform and entertain but we have to remember that even in entertainment, we have to educate and so whiles the programme starts or from now to after the elections, we must ensure the programme will bring unity, and peace in the country.
We have one Ghana and if there will be peace, it is about you and I,” she said.
She was also of the view that the media has a critical role to play in ensuring peaceful elections.
To the crew and presenters, Mrs Linda Asante Agyei advised them to ensure fact-checking before they put any information out there, noting that we are in an era of misinformation and disinformation.
“As you are allowing people to speak on your platforms, make sure that you fact-check whatever they say, if it is not true, you make them withdraw so that the ordinary citizen listening or watching from home does not take it to be true when it is not,” she added.
Vote Buying
A Political Marketing Lecturer at the University of Education Winneba (UEW), Dr Bernard Tutu Boahen also said those who sell their votes to politicians are selling their rights, the future and the peace of mind of their generation to those who buy them.
For the politicians who also buy votes, he said they do not qualify to lead the country because they do not have legitimacy of leadership or the legitimacy of the backing of the people, saying those who do that have actually put the people under duress.
“Politics is not about trade, it is not bargaining,” he stated, urging those who do that to put a stop to it.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
