CALID begins “Vigilant 4 Election 2020” project

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By
Albert Futukpor, GNA

Gushegu (N/R), Feb 17, GNA – The Centre for
Active Learning and Integrated Development (CALID), an NGO, has kick-started
its election project: dubbed “Vigilant 4 Election 2020”.

As part of rolling out the programme, it
organised a stakeholder meeting with the Gushegu, Savelugu and Tamale
Assemblies to discuss modalities on the project.

The Vigilant 4 Election 2020 project, which
will end in February, 2021, is funded by the STAR Ghana Foundation to ensure
peace before, during and after the 2020 elections, and it is being implemented
in the Tamale Metropolis, Gushegu and Savelugu Municipalities and the Nanton
District.

Its stakeholders included; representatives of
the Assemblies, traditional and religious authorities and major youth groups in
those Assemblies.

The meeting was to introduce the project to
the stakeholders as well as form violence free Election Peace Committees to
help with the implementation of the project in the communities in these
Assemblies.

Gushe-Naa Mahama Abdulai Shitobu, Paramount
Chief of Gushegu, who spoke when representatives of CALID called on him at his
palace at Gushegu to introduce the project to him, underscored the importance
of peace to accelerating socio-economic development, saying “Without peace, one
cannot even drink water.”


He, therefore, lauded the initiative and
called on residents in the area to fully participate to ensure its successful
implementation.

Yoo-Naa Abdulai Yakubu Andani, Paramount Chief
of Savelugu, who also spoke when representatives of CALID called on him at his
palace to introduce the project, was grateful that his area was chosen to
benefit from the project.


He expressed worry at how political parties
and their leaders influenced the youth with huge sums of money to do their
bidding by causing chaos and mayhem before, during and after elections, saying
such acts were not good for the country’s democracy.

He expressed willingness to support the
project to work to ensure peaceful elections in December.

The Coordinating Directors of Gushegu and
Savelugu Assemblies, at separate meetings, spoke about the work of the District
Elections Task Force, which was similar to CALID’s project and gave assurance
of support for the project to succeed.

Mr Mohammed Awal Sumani Bapio, Executive
Director of CALID said the organisation was in the process of forming Election
Peace Committees in the Assemblies to among other things deal with issues that
were inimical to a peaceful electoral process at the respective Assemblies.

He said the Election Peace Committees would be
made up of representatives of political parties, political and non-aligned
youth groups, traditional and religious leaders, women’s groups, selected
public institutions and other minority ethnic groups.

GNA