A 299-page book titled “Voices for the Ballot: Electoral Communications in Ghana” has been launched in Accra.

The book seeks to promote responsible political communication by encouraging political actors to focus on educating voters, promoting accountability and advancing national development rather than concentrating solely on winning political power.

The author, Dr Nana Sifa Twum, said the book was intended to contribute to national discussions on improving electoral communication, which he observed had largely been reduced to securing votes for political parties.

The book examines four communication theories, including the public sphere, media ownership and control, propaganda and the interaction of communication, while introducing a new concept known as the Communicative Alignment Theory.

Dr Twum said plans were underway to organise nationwide workshops and dialogues involving students, politicians, media practitioners and civil society organisations to promote effective electoral communication practices.

The Executive Secretary to the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Damasus Tuurosong, who read a speech on behalf of the Speaker, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, said voters deserved clear explanations of how political parties intended to create jobs, improve education and healthcare, manage public finances and tackle corruption.

He also urged journalists to uphold professionalism by verifying information, scrutinising campaign promises and ensuring accuracy and fairness in their reportage, particularly during election periods.

For her part, the President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana, Ms Esther A. N. Cobbah, said communication professionals played a significant but sometimes overlooked role in ensuring credible electoral processes.

She explained that effective communication enabled political parties and candidates to understand voters’ concerns, explain their policies and encourage citizens to participate meaningfully in elections.

Ms Cobbah commended the author for contributing to knowledge in electoral communication and strengthening the voice of the IPR Ghana locally and internationally.

By Eugene Ampiaw & Nelly Quarcoopome 

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Five Catholic priests in the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua have jointly invested GH¢1.6 million from their personal resources to construct a church to serve four communities in the New Juaben South Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The 300-capacity church, located at Trom and named St. John Vianney Catholic Church, is expected to bring worship closer to residents of Trom, Bornya, Korle and Abansro.

The Vicar General of the Diocese, Monsignor Francis Twum-Barimah, will oversee the new church and provide pastoral services.

The Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, who led the dedication of the church at Trom, described the initiative as exceptional, saying he had not witnessed a similar undertaking in his more than 40 years in the priesthood.

He commended the five priests for conceiving the idea and completing the project within eight months.

“I want to thank God for the thoughtfulness of some of my priests, who conceived this idea and presented it to me towards the end of last year. Thank you for this parish and for completing it in eight months,” he said.

Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum said the project demonstrated that infrastructure could be delivered at a lower cost through efficient management of resources and urged the government and other institutions to learn from the initiative.

“This country can still build cheaper, but it is often something that eludes all of us, and so the construction of projects becomes so expensive,” he added.

He said the Church needed to expand its presence in rapidly developing communities to prevent distance from becoming a barrier to regular worship.

“We cannot continue to remain where we are; we must grow with communities. We have to begin to plan, strategise and expand. There are some Catholics who, because of distance, have fallen; they are not going to church and not practising. You are the ones I am looking for, which is the reason why this community exists,” he said.

The convenor of the five priests, Very Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Kenneth Abban, who is also President of the Koforidua Diocesan Priests Association (KODPA), Director of the Diocesan Health Services and Hospital Manager of St. Dominic Catholic Hospital, Akwatia, acknowledged the collective sacrifice that made the project possible.

He, however, singled out Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Quainoo Aggrey for his initiative and commitment.

“Although five of us contributed in our own strength to build this church, special mention should be made of the initiator, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Quainoo Aggrey. We could not believe what we saw; in our minds, this was to travel beyond this year,” he said.

He said the church would serve as a sacred place for the celebration of the Eucharist, the administration of the sacraments and the spiritual development of the wider community.

“We wish to put on record that what we have done is out of love for God and His Church. It is an act of faith rendered through the sacrifice of personal earnings,” he added.

The other priests who contributed to the project are Rev. Fr. Michael Numekevor Jnr., Esq., Diocesan Civil Lawyer and priest in charge of lands and estates; Rev. Fr. Eric Evans Akahono, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Akyem Oda; and Rev. Fr. Derrick Eyram Senanu, Parish Priest of St. Peter Catholic Church, Somanya.

The project brings to 54 the number of parishes and quasi-parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua, he said.

The assigned catechist, Mrs Rose A. Dadjawah, a resident of Trom, said the new church would provide a more suitable environment for worship and encourage more Catholics to participate in church activities.

She said Catholics in the Trom enclave had worshipped in a private residence for about 14 years while waiting for a permanent place of worship. She expressed the hope that the new facility would encourage those who had stopped attending church to return.

A resident, Francisca Ayitey, recalled the difficulties she encountered travelling from Trom to St. Dominic Catholic Church, particularly when she was pregnant.

“Praise be to God, I used to go for Mass at St. Dominic from Trom even when I was pregnant. Getting taxis on Sundays was not easy,” she said.

The elderly and other residents who had gradually withdrawn from church activities because of the distance are also expected to benefit from the new facility.

Previously, Catholic faithful in the four communities had to travel more than three miles to attend Mass at St. Dominic Catholic Church, Adweso, St. George Cathedral or St. Bakhita Catholic Church at Old Estates, with transportation difficulties, particularly on Sundays, discouraging some from attending services.

By Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua

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