By Albert Futukpor
Kubori (NE/R), Aug. 7, GNA – The Mamprugu-Moagduri District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held a Police-community dialogue session as part of efforts to promote peaceful coexistence.
It created the platform where personnel of the Ghana Police Service and community members in the district in the North East Region interacted to defuse suspicion and build trust to improve Police-community relations and confidence.
In attendance were traditional leaders, community members, the District Chief Executive, security services, youth and women’s groups, and dressmakers amongst other stakeholders.
Issues discussed during the event, which was organised with support from the European Union as part of the Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism project, focused on violent extremism and its related effects.
Mr Salifu Ibrahim, the Mamprugu-Moagduri District Director of NCCE, said violent extremism posed a significant threat to national security, community stability and individual safety.
Mr Ibrahim touched on the effects of violent extremism in neighbouring countries and called for collaboration and cooperation of all to prevent such acts in the country.
He said, “The relationship between the Police and the community is critical in fostering a cooperative environment essential for identifying and mitigating extremist threats.”
He said as the country approached the general election, all citizens should be advocates for peace and development, be vigilant and report suspicious threats to the security agencies.
Mr Abu Adam, the Mamprugu-Moagduri District Chief Executive, said the District Assembly and the District Police Command worked collaboratively to ensure law and order in the area.
Mr Adam urged all to be patriotic citizens and promptly pay their taxes to enable the District Assembly to carry out its mandatory development projects and security operations.
Superintendent Abubakati Nawaz, the Mamprugu-Moagduri District Police Commander, who was the facilitator of the engagement, took participants through establishing a foundation of trust between the Police and community members, to ensure that everyone felt heard, respected, and valued.
He took participants through activities of violent extremist groups in sub-Saharan Africa and called on the people to coexist peacefully to foster peace in the area.
Mr Theophilus Darko, the Pastor at the Church of Pentecost in the area, who was a facilitator, emphasised need for peace and gave assurance that religious leaders in the area would continue to preach peace to promote the development of the district.
The Chief of Kubori, who was represented by Linpondana Yidana Zakaria, an elder, said politics was about sharing ideas for people to accept but not speeches of hatred and violence.
He urged the residents to continue to contribute to the nation’s peace and trust the security services to ensure law and order.
GNA