Tamale, Feb 25, GNA – Alhaji Abdul-Razak Saani, the immediate past Northern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has urged citizens to safeguard the rights of children and young people to make them feel part of society.
He said the inclusion of children and young people would also ensure that they would not be easily influenced to join terrorist groups to perpetrate violent and extremist acts in the country.
He was speaking at a forum organised by the Northern Regional Directorate of the NCCE for students of tertiary institutions in Tamale to create awareness on early warning signals on violent extremism and terrorism.
It was also to share relevant information on violent extremism and radicalism with the students such that they would guard against being recruited into terrorist groups to undertake violent acts.
It formed part of the Preventing Electoral Violence and Providing Security to the Northern Border Regions of Ghana project funded by the European Union to among others counter violent extremism in the country.
Alhaji Saani said anger at being bullied or feeling unfairly treated by different sections of society, people and or groups could lead to feelings of social isolation or exclusion, making it easy for the individual to be recruited into terrorist groups, hence the need to safeguard the rights of children and young people.
He said the threat from terrorism and extremism could involve the exploitation of vulnerable people including children and young people for extremist activity hence the need for attention and monitoring.
Mr Abdulai Ayaala, Deputy Northern Regional Director of NCCE, urged authorities to address factors that drove individuals into violent extremism such as marginalisation, limited access to quality and relevant education, the denial of rights and civil liberties and socio-economic benefits.
GNA