By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Walewale (NE/R), May 29, GNA – The West Mamprusi Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the North East Region, has engaged some students and identified groups in the Municipality as part of efforts to curb the insurgence of violent extremism.
Apart from sensitising students of the Walewale Vocational Senior High School on the effects of radicalism and extremism, the Commission also intensified education on violent extremism to many communities including Loagri, Tinguri, Diani, Nayorku, Gbimsi and Wulugu among others.
The participants were taken through the causes, effects, preventive measures of violent extremism and measures to take during attacks from violent extremists.
The move was part of the implementation of the European Union sponsored project, dubbed “Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE)” and being implemented by the NCCE.
Mr Thomas Imoro Issahaku, the West Mamprusi Municipal Director of the NCCE, said the country’s security was under threat by activities of violent extremists in neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Togo and Mali among others.
He said to ensure security and prevent any spillover of the activities of extremism, Ghanaians needed to view security issues as shared responsibility and contribute to helping the security agencies to maintain the prevailing peace.
“The security agencies can only do their best if the community members volunteer information and so, you need to be watchful when at public places and report any suspicious activities to the security agencies,” he said.
Ms Vivian Akundungya, an Assistant Civic Education Officer, West Mamprusi Municipal, NCCE, told the identified groups at separate functions to advise their children, especially, the youth against joining radical groups that had negative effects on their lives.
She urged the women and youth to participate in the upcoming district level elections to ensure that their voices were heard and issues affecting them addressed, to prevent them from joining extremists’ groups.
Mr Michael Ayomah, another Assistant Civic Education Officer with the West Mamprusi Municipal, NCCE, advised the students to focus on their education to build a better future and resist any attempt to influence them to cause trouble.
GNA