Jirapa ( UWR), Sept. 30, GNA – The Jirapa Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has called for effective collaboration between the youth and the security agencies in the Municipality to help fight violent extremism.
The Commission stressed the need for trust and confidentiality between the two parties to help enhance free disclosure of information without fear of exposure to facilitate law and order in the area.
Mr Norbert Ambaahikpiengu, the Jirapa Municipal Director of the NCCE made the call in Jirapa during a day’s engagement with the youth in the area on Violent Extremism and National Cohesion with sponsorship from the European Union (EU).
The aim of the engagement was to equip the youth with relevant information on violent extremism and radicalization to guard against the perpetuation and recruitment of the youth into violent extremism.
Mr Ambaahikpiengu said, ”Violent Extremism and Terrorism remain a significant threat to global peace, security and sustainable development”.
He said though Ghana was enjoying peace, new threats including Violent Extremism, particularly in the Sahel and West African Sub-region pose a grave threat to the country’s democratic governance, social cohesion, and peaceful co-existence amongst others.
This, he said, called for the need for the NCCE to begin public education, especially in selected border communities to enlighten the citizenry on the dangers that the activities of violent extremism posed to Ghana’s peace and stability.
Mr Anbaahikpiengu called for trust between the security agencies and the ordinary citizens to facilitate law and order in the municipality and Ghana as a whole.
Corporal Andrews Quansah, a representative of the Municipal Police Commander, educating participants on violent extremism and terrorism and their negative impact on the country, cautioned the youth not to be lured into violent extremism but must stand firm and resist any attempt to be recruited into self-destruction.
He urged the youth to be vigilant and alert wherever they found themselves and report suspicious characters to the security services.
Rev. Father Anthony Bakpare of the St. Joseph Parish in Jirapa called on the citizenry to respect the views of one another and also avoid all forms of discrimination to ensure that there was continuous peace in the country.
Madam Patience Sally Kumah, the Upper West Regional Director of the NCCE, encouraged all to be ambassadors of peace and urged the youth to be tolerant, law abiding, and patriotic.
The youth of the municipality pledged among others to abstain from any form of violence, and to embrace peaceful coexistence with the support of the security services to form watchdog committees.
The engagement brought together youth leaders including, political party youth activists, representatives of the various youth groups, PWDs, assembly members, religious groups among others.
GNA