The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), in partnership with the Damongo Local Accountability Network (LANet), has sensitised first-time voters at Damongo Senior High School (DASS) on the electoral process and the need to avoid any form of violence.
The sensitization was done by the West Gonja Municipal EC director Mr Essuman Barnes Solomon and Rev Samuel Mahama Dinkeri, West Gonja LANet and GACC representative
The sensitization touched on areas such as, the need to vote peacefully and avoiding any form of violence before, during, and after the elections.
Aside from sensitization on how to vote properly, the students were taken through the need to vote and live peacefully with one another and promote peace.
Rev Samuel Dinkeri Mahama, LANet Member, noted the voting process must be free, fair, and transparent to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. There should be no intimidation, manipulation, inducement and any form of violence in the process leading to choosing leaders for the country. People should vote according to their conscience to make the election free and fair and added that voting is a civic duty and therefore, first- time voters must be allowed to freely choose who leads them.
The LANet Member highlighted that corruption could lead to electing wrong people into office and retard development.
EC Director Essuman Solomon said democratic procedures demand active citizen participation in election and nation building, so the first-time voters should be patriotic and vote for the defense of democracy.
He practically took the students through the voting process. He said voters must make sure that their ballots are well stamped, folded and after voting, are placed in the right ballot boxes.
Some of the students expressed gratitude to LANet and GACC for taking the sensitization to their school and expressed confidence that they will vote wisely to reduce rejected ballots in the December elections.
A similar program was held at Damongo Agricultural College Church hall for a cross section of Christian Youth.
