The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged the government to stabilise and enhance the economic climate.
Miss Kathleen Addy made this appeal at a media briefing on Saturday, January 7, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of democratic rule in the country.
According to the NCCE Chair, doing this will enable the government to maintain the democracy that Ghanaians are currently experiencing, as a decline in the economic situation of the country poses a threat to the country’s democracy.
She enumerated some of the gains that the country has enjoyed since its return to democracy, and among them were peaceful elections, which she said have been recognized around the world.
Despite her acknowledgement of some of the economic gains Ghana has made, Ms Addy emphasised in her speech that the presence of economic hardship may lead citizens to start revolting.
“Any form of economic decline such as we have experienced in the post-Covid period that culminated in severe economic turbulence in 2022 poses a very serious threat to our democracy.
“When, as a result of economic hardship, citizens begin to feel that the dividends of democracy have eluded them, they are inclined to resort to non-democratic means of survival and self-expression,” she said.
She emphasized that the government must take all appropriate measures to ensure that the economy remains on the road to robust growth.
The NCCE Chair also highlighted a number of actions that can endanger the country’s democracy, including abuse of freedom of expression, the proliferation of dangerous fake news, political and, to some extent, religious incitement, and a lack of trust in government institutions due to perceptions of corruption.
Finally, she expressed her optimism that 2022’s economic difficulties will be firmly put behind the country.
