NUGS to monitor elections

Page 44
17-11-08

THE National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is to dispatch election observers to some parts of the country to monitor this year’s elections.
The union said although it was yet to decide on the number of its members that would be used as observers, its emphasis would be placed on the conflict-prone areas.
“Our presence at polling centres will be to deter any electoral fraud. The exercise will also enable us to make an objective assessment of the process,” the President of NUGS, Mr Ishmael Tweneboa-Kodua, said this in Accra at the launch of a peace campaign towards elections 2008 by the union.
“We cannot allow any overly ambitious person or group of persons to ruin the nation because of their personal interest. Let me also remind my colleague students to remember that Ghana is ours and we have a responsibility to secure its future,” he said.
He said as part of the peace campaign, members of the union would be visiting schools to sensitise students to contribute their quota to successful elections, adding that during such visits “we will show video excerpts of the ravages of post-election violence in some parts of the continent”.
Mr Tweneboa-Kodua said politicians should stop looking for excuses far in advance to doubt the credibility of the elections, adding that what was needed now was reconciliatory messages by political leaders to lessen the tension in the country.
The NUGS President said recognising the crucial role that the youth played in violence and other related matters, the union had outlined a series of activities it believed would help to quash any potential trouble.
Mr Tweneboa-Kodua said Ghanaians were not aware of any situation in history when violence yielded the desired results, hence the need for politicians to follow laid-down rules and regulations.