The Center for Democratic Development(CDD- Ghana) in collaboration with Partners in Participatory Development (PAPADEV), has organised a sensitization forum at Chache, a border community in the Bole District to educate community members on measures to tackle terrorism around the border communities in the Northern part of Ghana.
The forum, an initiative is aimed at sensitizing communities on security measures for people living along the border towns to enhance citizen’s cautiousness and security awareness about threats of terrorism.
In his introductory message to the community, Mr. Andrews Niyoro, with PAPADEV, made the people know that the mere fact that Ghana is a peaceful country doesn’t mean we are free from terrorist attacks hence the need for all of us to be vigilant of strangers and unknown people.
The commander of the Bole District Command, DSP Benjamin Buxton made the community know that as a border community they were the immediate to be affected by whatever attacks and influence from terrorists.
He said terrorists use young people and children to get information on the communities and also use them for their operations.
‘Terrorists deceive school children with little items such as mobile phones and laptops just to get them around themselves’, he said.
He took the community through cases of kidnapping the Bole police unit have recorded and how they went around them.
He cited one incident in Wakawaka in which the criminals were subsequently arrested through a joint -collaboration between the community and police in the District.
He also informed the community of a recent incident of kidnap at Sekonokuraa, a village that shares boundaries with the Chache electoral area in Jentige.
On the need for collaboration and information sharing between civilians and the police, he said the police is a friend hence people should give out tips to ensure community security.
The police commander informed the the community of an advanced plan to put a police snap check point between Jentige and Kpenaayiri which was a response to a proposal from the Assembly member of Chache electoral area supported by his other colleagues from Bale and Mandari.
The Assemblyman for the area,Hon.Alim Kuusari Enbong, took term to address the people on a meeting organised by NCCE in the district capital on 18th September, 2021.
The meeting was centered around violence extremism and need for ensuring community security.
At questions and answering period, the community showed uproar on the insecurity caused in the community by the presence of nomadic herdsmen who damage their farm produce at night while farmers are at home.
The police commander in his response to the uproar, called for an intensive dialogue and collaboration between community leaders to reduce the rate of crop destruction as reported by the people.
He also took the community through the ECOWAS treaty that allows international movement among ECOWAS member States and also empathised on the need to follow the law on dealing with such herdsmen as he admonished the people not to take the law into their own hands.
Hon. Kuusari thanked the CDD- Ghana for such an initiative that is geared towards empowering citizens to effectively support government agencies to safeguard the security of the country.
Source: yagbonradioonline
