Ensure peace to safeguard Ghana against violent extremists-NCCE

By Anthony Adongo Apubeo

Gambaga (NE/R), May 26, GNA – The National Commission for Civic (NCCE) has admonished all the political parties to ensure tolerance that will foster peace to prevent conflict and fight threats of violent extremism during the 2024 general election.

Mr Abdulai Abdul-Mugis, the East Mamprusi Municipal Director of the Commission who made the call said activities of violent extremists were pronounced and could take advantage of any volatile situations to cause mayhem if the country was not peaceful.

It was therefore imperative for all stakeholders particularly the political parties to ensure peaceful atmosphere before, during and after election through tolerance and respect in their campaigns to ensure that such violent extremists did not take advantage of any situation to destabilise the country.

The Municipal Director made the observations during the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC), organised by the NCCE at Gambaga in the North East Region.

It was part of the implementation of the European Union sponsored project dubbed “preventing and containing violent extremism.”

It is aimed at creating awareness about violent extremism and facilitating activities to engender security consciousness, social inclusiveness, community cohesion, and situational awareness among the citizenry to enhance peacebuilding for sustainable development.

It brought together the various stakeholders comprising the security agencies, the political parties, the Electoral Commission, traditional and religious leaders, women, youth, persons with disabilities, among others.

Mr Issac Asare, North East Regional National Investigation Bureau Officer, took the participants through mechanisms to fighting violent extremism such as stages of monitoring and reporting threats and vulnerabilities to violent extremism, ways to detect youth radicalization and signs of recruitment, and mediation and resolution of local conflicts.

He urged the public to support the security agencies to fight crime by sharing relevant information and reporting suspicious characters to the security agencies to ensure informed actions.

Mr Yidana Abdul-Razak Municipal Director of Electoral Commission (EC), who took the participants through the processes of election, urged the public to get registered to enable them vote in the December polls.

GNA