YOUTH URGED TO ADVOCATE OF PEACE (PAGE 40)

THE Upper West Regional Minister, Mr George Hikah Benson, has called on the youth of the country to be advocates of peace to accelerate the progress of the nation.
He noted that being the future leaders of the country, they should endeavour to prevent any negative thing that could affect the development agenda of the nation.
The regional minister made the call when opening a three-day workshop for selected teachers in the Upper West Region.
The workshop, which was on the theme: "Consolidating democracy through youth participation", was organised by Project Citizen Ghana, a civil organisation based in Accra.
Mr Benson said with the general election fast approaching, there was the need for tolerance from all stakeholders in order to avoid violence, which is happening in some parts of the country.
He noted with concern that the youth were involved in all the reported violent clashes.
Mr Benson commended Project Citizen Ghana for including the region in all its peace initiatives and expressed the hope that their efforts would go a long way to ensure peace at all times.
The Co-ordinator of the project, Mrs Fanny Kumah, made a passionate appeal to the electorate, the various political parties and their followers to strive to make the upcoming general election violence free.
She also implored them to abide by the political parties code of conduct, which they had signed.
Mrs Kumah explained that the workshop was aimed at training the youth to develop democratic dispositions like tolerance, patriotism, self-respect, that encourage the exercise of fundamental human rights and responsibility.
"If the goals of Project Citizens are deeply rooted in the youth, we are confident that there will be no acrimony or violence before, during or even after the election," she said.
Mrs Kumah thanked the Hanns Siedal Foundation, the Ghana Education Service and other collaborators for their support towards the programme.
The Upper West Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Kofi Adomah, appealed to Ghanaians to tolerate the views of one another.