The Institute of Election Administration and Civil Education (IEACE) Sierra Leone has formally launched a certificate programme at the Ahmed Tejan Kabbah hall Eastern Polytechnic campus along Combema road in Kenema city.
In her address the chairman of the programme who is also the vice principal of the Eastern Polytechnic college Adlyn O. Johnson welcomed all and sundry and expressed the hope that the introduction of the electoral administration and civic education will enhance electoral process in the country.
Mrs. Johnson said Sierra Leoneans have a role to play in order to make Sierra Leone a productive nation. She noted that the programme will serve as a strong base for conducting a free and fair election in the country and appealed to all to make the programme an important one for the good of the country. She said the IEACE certificate programme will commence on 28th September to 20th November this year.
She admonished the participants to pay greater attention to the programme adding that after the training they will be able to disseminate the messages they will learn to their respective societies.
Giving an overview of the progamme the District Election Officer Kenema Philip Kargbo says the introduction of the Civil Education programme came as a result of the low level of the people on electoral administration and education in the country.
He noted that until the late 1990s changes of government in Sierra Leone have tended to be neither smooth nor peaceful, adding that within the period of 1973 to 1986, general elections in Sierra Leone were characterised with violence and apathy as citizens lack adequate knowledge and information on election processes generally.
He said Sierra Leone is one of the African countries that have gained recognition from the International process adding that the introduction of the electoral civil education in tertiary Institution would address violence and other malpractices in the electoral process in the country.
He called on every Sierra Leonean to take the new initiative at heart to improve on their knowledge so that they can contribute meaningfully towards development in Sierra Leone. He says the tuition fees for the program is Le200.000. Kargbo says the problem in the country is that majority of its citizens even the educated few lack the basic knowledge and skills in election management pointing out that NEC should be recruiting quality electoral staff during national elections.
In his contribution Human Right Commissioner Edward Sam Sesay, says Sierra Leoneans should support the new initiative as it will help add to the reliability of the nation especially in the conduct of elections in the country.
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