The Executive Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), Josephine Nkrumah, has said her outfit lacks the requisite resources needed to effectively deliver on its mandate.
Speaking on Citi TV’s Current Affairs Programme, The Point of View, Madam Nkrumah said the lack of resources is impeding the NCCE’s work.
“As for the resources, it is a major challenge for us and it literally impedes the effective delivery of our mandate. We do not have the basic things that a civic education institute should have and that also largely affects the work we do. I am out there doing so many programmes and I cannot fund them sustainably and I cannot create the visibility. It is a problem we struggle with on a daily basis.”
Media’s role
She was however quick to add that this challenge might be resolved if the media begins to consistently “speak and advocate for resources for the NCCE.”
Long standing challenge
The lack of resources at the NCCE appears to be a long standing problem.
In 2016, the NCCE similarly lamented the lack of adequate office space as well as permanent offices to operate in, saying the situation is affecting its output.
The NCCE’s Director of Finance at the time, Michael Dadzie, bemoaned the fact that since its inception in 1993, the Commission had been sharing offices with the Electoral Commission (EC) as it carries out its constitutional mandate.
Testifying before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) at the time, Mr. Dadzie said, “ever since the institution came into being, NCCE has never been given an office. We have been squatting in the Electoral Commission’s office in 12 rooms and it is having a serious impact on our activities.”
Josephine Nkrumah’s concerns come in the wake of several calls from the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu for government to resource his outfit with the tools they needed to operate effectively.
After several public statements of frustration from Mr. Amidu, government has finally made an allocation for the Office in the budget.
What’s the NCCE?
The NCCE is a government agency responsible for the education of Ghanaians on civic matters.
The commission, which was established by Act 452 of Parliament in 1993, has never performed at its maximum capacity, as it remains one of the most under-resourced state agencies.
–
Source: citinewsroom.com
