Ban Political Groupings In Tertiary Institutions � NCCE

The Agona East Inter-Party Dialogue Committee has been inaugurated with a call on Parliament to ban the formation of political groupings in tertiary educational institutions in the country. Mr Stephen Agyei-Yeboah, Acting Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in Agona East who made the call said student political groupings such as TESCON and TEIN were encouraging indiscipline in Ghanaian tertiary institutions. He said as students whose education was being taken care of by their parents or relatives they should not be allowed to participate in active partisan politics. Mr Agyei-Yeboah said indulging in active politics could affect their studies and their performance in their final examinations. On indiscipline, the Acting Director said some members of these political associations could insult some important personalities and elderly persons, including the Head of State, just because of politics.�If these insults are allowed to continue, we will be setting a very bad precedence for the young ones who are the future leaders to follow,� he said. Mr Agyei-Yeboah advised members of the Committee to serve as a unifying body which could promote peace and resolve conflicts before, during and after the 2012 general election. Miss Mirian Osae-Addo, Assistant Co-ordinating Director for Agona East who inaugurated the Committee on behalf of the District Chief Executive for Agona East, said conflicts in some neighbouring countries which came as a result of elections must guide Ghanaians to take precautionary measures to protect the peace the nation was enjoying. �No one must take the peace the nation is enjoying for granted,� she said and appealed to politicians to be circumspect with what they say and do. Miss Osae-Addo advised the Committee to liaise with the District Security Committee (DISEC) which is in charge of the security of the district whenever they were in difficulty. The Inter-Party Dialogue Committee comprised representatives of the National Democratic Congress, the New Patriotic Party, the Convention Peoples Party, the only three political parties which are operating in the district, the Police Service, the NCCE, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the District Assembly, Christian and Muslim organizations, Women and Youth groups, traditional authorities and the media.