The National Peace Council is calling on the National House of Chiefs and the Council of State to assist in ensuring that the peace Ghana is enjoying is consolidated.
According to the Council, the Act that establishes it limits it on its responsibilities, saying there are certain things the public demand from it which is outside its mandate.
The Executive Secretary of the Council, George Amoh, has indicated that if the aforementioned institutions come in to support, they can together help in instilling peace in the country.
His comments come on the back of demands being made by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) before assenting to a peace pact ahead of the December 07 elections.
According to the NDC, there have been series of violence in some elections in the country including the shooting and killing of 8 persons in Techiman South and the violence that marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
The NDC says although the culprits have not been punished for their deeds despite a Committee report making recommendations from the Ayawaso West Wuogon election violence, the Peace Council which is championing the peace pact has remained silent.
Reacting to the issue, Mr. Amoh indicated that the Peace Council issued statements to that effect and due to the limitations it has, he suggests the other bodies come in to support.
He explained that the public demand certain things from the Peace Council because it is not abreast with the responsibilities of the Council, saying it needs to embark on a public education to enlighten the public on what it can do and what it cannot do.
“I think we have done that, we issued press statements, I think google can now bring them out. If you go to our website you’ll see the statements that we issued regarding those matters. That’s how far we can go.
“We think that institutions such as the House of Chiefs, the Council of State should all come in and help so that we are able to get some of these unresolved things resolved,” he stated.
He added that, “the Peace Council, per our mandate, I think we have to do public education on the things we can do and things we cannot do because we don’t have the power to…, even the condemnation and things people are crying that we should do, there is nothing in our Act that asks the Peace Council to pronounce on matters…, I mean we can’t do it.”
Mr. Amoh as disclosed that “we are also not mandated to pronounce on matters like that. I think the courts have that mandate.”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the NDC, has enumerated some conditions that need to be fulfilled before the party will consider signing the peace pact being championed by the National Peace Council.
Amongst the demands the NDC is making before signing unto the peace pact a is “the full implementation of the investigations of the incident that occurred at Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency during the by-election.
“We want to see initiation of prosecution in all the violence during the last election and prosecution for the printing of ballot papers,” said Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, in an exclusive with TV3’s Christian Yalley.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia has also stated that “we want the President to state openly that he will respect the outcome of the 2024 elections” adding that “we want to see the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Chief Justice (CJ), Attorney-General (A-G) and National Security Coordinator sign the peace pact before we see and sign that document.”
‘Let bygones be bygones’ – Peace Council appeals to NDC to sign peace pact
