National Peace Fund Launched in Accra
Story by: Sheila Satori
The National Peace Council (NPC) on Friday October 15, at the KOFI Annan peacekeeping School ,launched the Peace Fund, to supplement the budgetary allocation given to it by the government and further strengthen the effectiveness of the operations of the council in preventing, managing and resolving conflicts and promoting peace across all the 16 regions of Ghana.
The theme for the launch was: “Promoting National Peace and Cohesion through a Sustainable Peace Fund.”
National Peace Fund Launched in Accra
The Chairman of the NPC, Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu Gyamfi, speaking at the launch of the fund ,recounted how due to lack of adequate resources, Board members of the Council have had to resort to using their personal resources to discharge their duties.
“The coming into effect of the National Peace Fund will give them some respite and provide a better source of financing for Ghanaians to own the Peace Council as they would not be solely dependent on the government in power for funding to carry out their mandate”he said.
The Defence Minister Mr. Dominic Nitiwul, who represented the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo to officially launch the fund ,urged every citizen to support the fund by donating their widow’s mite to ensure that it is sustained to enable the NPC to be efficient.
Cross Section dignitaries at the Launch
Mr Nitiwul recalled that 15 years ago the government of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, in pursuit of securing sustainability of Ghana’s peace and development established the NPC.
He said the people’s effort to maintain the peace in the country had earned Ghana the accolade of a peaceful nation with a stable democracy having conducted eight elections, and even changing from one party to the other with little or sometimes no problems at all.
Hence, there was no doubt that the country continues to enjoy significant improvement on the global peace index.
“Indeed, for three consecutive times, Ghana had come top as the most peaceful country in the Sub-region of West Africa” while the latest global index rated the country for the first time as the second most peaceful country in Africa,” Mr Nitiwul said.
The Minister said the NPC Act 818 passed by Parliament in 2011, received massive support from both majority and minority in the then Chamber, and recalled how the NPC since its inception in 2006 played a key role in the governance arrangement of the country.
National Peace Fund Launched in Accra
He used the occasion to applaud the efforts of the NPC in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts to building sustainable peace, especially during the country’s elections in 2016 and 2020, and in other protracted chieftaincy.
He encouraged all, including government businesses, investors, development partners, churches, mosques, media and individuals to support the initiative of the NPC to raise the GHS 10 million target set for the launch.
The Minister also charged the Board of the NPC to ensure that the administration of the Fund meet the international and the country’s financial regulations, to ensure confidence in the management of the Fund, but said “having studied the framework for the operations of the Fund, I have every confidence that contributions to the Fund would be efficiently utilized for the benefit of sustainable peace and development of our country”.
In view of this, he believes the coming into effect of the National Peace Fund will give them some respite and provide a better source of financing for Ghanaians to own the Peace Council as they would not be solely dependent on the government in power for funding to carry out their mandate.
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who was also represented at the launch by the Omanhene of Sabronum Traditional Area, Daasebre Oguakro Osei Bediako, said the fund had come at a very crucial time, adding that it is important for all Ghanaians to support it.
There were solidarity messages from the business community, the United Nations Development Programme Ghana, The Ministry of National Security as well as Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, which pledged the unflinching support of the stakeholders to the NPC and the fund.
There were solidarity message from the business community, the United Nations Development Ghana, The Minister of National Security, who pledge the strong support of the stakeholders to the NPC and the fund.
Other dignitaries present were the Chief of Defence Staff Vice Admiral Seth Amoama , commandant of KIPTC Major General Francis Ofori, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu Catholic Bishops Conference, Interior Minister and Member of Parliament Hon. Ambrose Dery, Religious leaders, Traditional Leaders, Diplomatic Crops , Academia among others.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
