Be civil in utterances--Students appeal to political parties, others

Front Page
23-09-08

SOME first and second-cycle students in Accra have appealed to political parties and their leaders, social commentators and callers to radio phone-in programmes to stop raising the political temperature in the country.
They said comments made in public that sought to create the impression that this year’s elections were a do-or-die affair were not only uncalled for but also a threat to the peace being enjoyed in the country.
The students, who made the appeal in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, implored politicians especially not to peddle falsehood and make inflammatory comments, since such comments could degenerate into violence.
According to them, it was not wrong for people to have different opinions on national issues, adding that in disagreeing or arguing on an issue, there was the need for leaders and supporters of political parties to be civil in their language.
They expressed concern over the way some party supporters called into radio and television programmes and made unsubstantiated allegations against their opponents, adding that the way the hosts of the programmes allowed those allegations to be made without calling the supporters to order was regrettable.
They believed that radio and television hosts should be able to make callers retract unsubstantiated comments and apologise for making inflammatory comments or unsubstantiated comments about their opponents because without doing that such allegations would be accepted as truths.
“We are appealing to our politicians not to say things that will lead to violence. We want peace in the country, since we have seen on television and heard on radio how violence has led to the destruction of lives and property,” Francis C. Sarpong, a student of Labone Senior High School, said.
Master Stephen Cofie, a student of the Kaneshie Secondary/Technical School, said there was the need for the peace in the country to be sustained for people to go about their day-to-day activities.
He said supporters of the various political parties should not kill one another for politicians, since they (the supporters) would be the losers in the end because in the event of violence, the politicians and their families would escape, leaving the supporters and their families behind to suffer.
“Nobody should kill himself for a politician and his family. Rather, people should work hard for the betterment of their families,” Amina Alhassan, a third-year student of the Pig Farm JHS, said.
She said some of the comments made by people on radio, especially the leading members of some parties, were not good at all, adding, “We feel so sad when big men who are supposed to be responsible make such comments.”
All politicians, she said, must commit themselves to ensuring peace before, during and after the elections, saying that Ghanaians should reject those raising tension in the country.
A Class Five pupil of the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary School, Kofi Nyanno, advised students to expose politicians who would want to use them to create violence, adding that students who were of the voting age should cast their ballots peacefully on December 7, 2008.
“After casting your ballot, don’t stay around the polling station,” he said.
A second-year student of the Akropong Methodist JHS, Regina Tetteh, said the country could not be developed without peace and pleaded with political party leaders to be mindful of what they said.
She said her dream for the future would be shattered if the forthcoming elections ended in violence, as she would not be able to complete her education.
“We want peace to reign forever in this country for us to achieve our dreams. Our leaders should tolerate whoever becomes the next President,” she said.
Master Abiola Adjani, a second-year student of the Osu Presbyterian Senior High School, said he preferred peaceful elections for the youth to continue with the development of the nation in future.
He, therefore, pleaded with political party leaders to advise their supporters against the use of vulgar language on their opponents, since that would incite violence.