Nalerigu, (NE/R), Nov. 4, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held a Regional inter-party engagement workshop on curbing violent extremism at Nalerigu, North East Region.
The workshop was part of the project, ‘Preventing Electoral Violence and Providing Security to the Border Regions of Ghana (NORPRESEC)’ with funding from the European Union and Technical support from the National Security.
It was aimed at promoting National cohesion.
Mr Wilberforce Zangina, the Regional NCCE Director, said the youth were vulnerable and easy targets of terrorists and extremists and there was the need to equip them with relevant information on violent extremism to enable them to refrain from being recruited for such crimes.
He said any form of violence was counter-productive to sustainable Development and needed to be tackled.
“Violent extremism is a worrying phenomenon across the globe, particularly in developing countries like Ghana, and deserves to be treated with zeal as any form of it is counter-productive to sustainable development,” he stated.
Mr Zangina said security was a shared responsibility and called for citizens cooperation with the Security Agencies to prevent violence in the country.
Mr George Asare, the Regional Commander of the National Investigation Bureau (NIB), urged the citizenry to desist from all forms of violence as it could lead to the displacement of people, killing and maiming of people, anarchy and diversion of state resources from productive areas to protective areas.
The Regional Commander of Police, ASP Robert Anabiik Angmwin, urged the stakeholders to be vigilant and report perpetrators of crime to the appropriate authorities for redress and desist from mob attacks.
Mr Nantomah Adam Banni, the Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, noted that respect for one’s rights and tolerance were basic things that could help promote the prevailing peace in the country and urged the participants to be open-minded and relate cordially with each other.
The participants pledged to eschew violence and to preach peace, unity and respect for human life.
GNA