The Bole District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has engaged influential youth leaders, persons with disability amongst other stakeholders in the area on preventing violent extremism in the District.
The day’s event, held at Bole on September 16, 2021, formed part of the Preventing Violent extremism and Providing Security to the Northern Border Regions of Ghana project funded by the European Union to amongst others counter violent extremism in the country.
The engagement was aimed at equipping participants, especially the youth with the relevant information on violent extremism and radicalism so that they guard against being recruited to perpetuate violence.
Mr Ahmed Soale, representing the Savannah Regional Director of the NCCE, noted that the youth especially the elite were the most vulnerable and most of the times fell victim to the temptations of the influence of tbe violence extremists and the youth must be wary about it.
Mr Ahmed explained that violent groups offered false alternatives to the vulnerability of the youth who mostly unemployed and urged Ghanaians to build resilience to desist their influence and work to safeguard the democracy that the country has practised for a long time.
He therefore called on Ghanaians to value the diversity that existed in the country to ensure peaceful coexistence and sustainable development and noted that the diversity among Ghanaians should be as a tool that could be harnessed for accelerated development and peaceful coexistence.
Mr Ahmed urged the participants especially the youth groups to report any suspected characters in their communities to the security services to facilitate law and order.
The Bole District Police Commander, DSP Benjamin Buxton, speaking on the Public Act reiterated the need to ascribe to the detailed procedures as contained in Public Order Act 1994 (Act 491) to create the necessary opportunities for fostering mutual understanding before permission is issued for the organisation of any public events or demonstration for peaceful co-existence.
He explained that if a demonstration or any public event tended to jeopardise national security, the police had the right to cancel it through the appropriate court of competent jurisdiction.
But DSP Buxton maintained that, in a situation where the participants in any public event contravened the rules and regulations that guided the organisation of such event, the organisers would bear the full brunt of the law, adding that it must be of greatest concern to the organisers of any public events to ensure that their participants conduct themselves within the dictates of the law to avoid the problem.
He emphasised the need to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) since it was one of the effective grievance procedures to get the required outcome.
Madam Hawa Anass, the Bole District acting Director of the NCCE, noted the engagement was part of activities being undertaken to create awareness among youth to be able to identify warning signs of violence extremism and actions to be taken to curb such activities.
She said the project was working towards against transnational organized crime, while promoting respect for human rights and the rule of law and also to equip the youth on the relevant information on violent extremism and radicalism, so that they guard against being recruited to cause violence.
“The youth are our future leaders and there is the need for them to exhibit spirit of patriotism, civic responsibility and social cohesion in their communities that they find themselves and also improve their knowledge and attitude on the culture of tolerance and non-violence to become ambassadors for peace,” she said.
Participants included; Assembly Members, Religious Leaders, Traditional Authorities, Members of the Security Services, Heads of Department, the former District Director of NCCE, Mr Ebo Koomson, youth leaders of political parties, the media amongst other stakeholders.
Source: yagbonradioonline
