The absence of officials of the two largest parties in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), at an advocacy meeting organized by the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission in Bolgatanga to call for decency as the country urges towards the December polls did not go down well with Rev. Father Gabriel Atidoo who described their absence as inexcusable and despicable.
The two hour event had stakeholders including the media, religious groups, Electoral Commission, National Commission for Civic Education, NCCE, political parties including the Convention People’s Party and Peoples National Convention with no official from the NDC and NPP, a development the Catholic Priest who was not happy about said was disturbing.
According to Rev. Father Gabriel Atidoo, the two major political parties are guilty of using foul language as he describes their absence at the event that sort to draw their attention to the dangers of foul language and the need for decency in their commentary and an issue based campaign is unwarranted.
“They’re the ones who should know about the Constitution and the laws of the country and yet they’re are the ones that are flouting those rules and that constitution by the use of language that is not acceptable and they get away with it. Unfortunately, the major parties are most guilty of it. Even more unfortunately, they’re the ones absent from a forum like this. And for me I find it, excuse me to use the word despicable, it’s not acceptable”.
The man of God further lamented what he describes as the glorification and rewarding of foul language by citizens.
“Sometimes I have the feeling that we also expect the politicians to insult each other so that we can laugh, quote them and enjoy ourselves. We have, by the way we have voted in the past rewarded abusive language, so why won’t they continue it. I think that we Ghanaians, are just satisfied with politicians handing us monies and other gifts, we are not critical enough to question the misdeeds of political parties and their leaders. We do not call them to order precisely because we ourselves are very divided on party lines”.
He proceeded to call on the media to remain neutral at all times and not allow their platforms to be used to transmit abusive language.
The event was under the theme: “Fostering decent language for peaceful elections 2020, the role of the Media”.
