By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Nov 11, GNA – Mr Samuel Asare Akuamoah, Deputy Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has underscored the need for the citizenry not to underestimate the power of their oneness saying it is the source of their strength and resilience.
He emphasised the need for the citizenry to remain united despite their cultural and religious differences “It takes unity, peace and stability to build a prosperous nation where everyone can live without fear and intimidation.,” he said.
Mr Akuamoah was addressing some youth groups in Tamale as part of the implementation of phase two of the European Union-funded project dubbed: “Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism.”
The youth groups engagement event was organised by the Tamale Metropolitan Directorate of NCCE and attended by various youth groups in the metropolis including persons living with disabilities.
Mr Akuamoah said, “What unites us is bigger than what divides us. We should not give violence a chance, especially in the upcoming elections to ruin our communities and country and more importantly, let’s use lawful means to settle our differences.”
Mr Imoro Tahiru, Tamale Metropolitan Director of NCCE, said the event was to enhance the youth’s understanding of peacebuilding mechanisms, social cohesion, and community-based mechanisms including identifying early warning signs and other basic strategies for countering violent extremism and arms proliferation.
He expressed the need to inculcate in the youth the spirit of patriotism and civic responsibility as well as invoke a sense of belonging to their own immediate communities.
He called on members of the public to prioritise volunteering information on suspicious characters and activities to the security agencies to enable them to tackle issues of crime and violence in the area.
Superintendent of Police, Mr Cosmos Awe, Tamale District Police Commander, took participants through the importance of community surveillance saying it was a shared responsibility between the communities and the security agencies.
He explained the importance of communities being security conscious and encouraged them not to create disunity to pave the way for violent extremist groups’ activities.
He said, “We must all strive to be one another’s keeper, learn to know people in our neighbourhood and report strange people to the security agencies for the necessary intervention.”
Participants expressed their preparedness to champion peace before, during and after this year’s elections.
GNA