The Talensi District Police Commander in the Upper East Region, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr Raymond Gai, has cautioned Ghanaians to be wary of the activities of violent extremists in neighbouring countries and take personal steps to safeguard the security of their respective communities.
The Commander made the call at Tongo, the district capital in Talensi District of the Upper East Region during a community engagement organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for youth leaders in the district aimed at curbing violent extremism and its related activities on Wednesday here.
DSP Gai said the spate of violent extremisms which were recorded in the neigbouring countries was a threat to the peace and stability the country and, therefore, underscored the urgent need for all Ghanaians to be concerned in order to help maintain the peace of the country.
The event themed, “Preventing electoral violence and providing security to the Northern border Regions of Ghana,” had funding support from the European Union (EU).
The Police Commander decried the reluctance of some Ghanaians to question the presence of strangers in their various communities and report suspicious characters to the appropriate authorities for investigation.
“People do see strange people in their communities and yet they do not try to find out who they are, where they come from and what they do. Sometimes they even offer them accommodation without doing any background checks,” he stressed.
The Upper East Regional Director of NCCE, Mr Pontius Pilate Baba Apaabey, noted that the youth especially the elite were the most vulnerable and most of the times fell victim to the temptations of the influence of the violence extremists and the youth must be wary about it.
The Regional Director who called on Ghanaians to value the culture diversity that existed in the country to ensure peaceful coexistence and sustainable development added that “the diversity among Ghanaians should be as a tool that could be harnessed for accelerated development and peaceful coexistence.”
Mr Frederick Amenga-Etego, a Member of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocesan Mediation Network, urged the youth not to allow conflict to divide them but rather work collectively for the sustainable development of their respective communities.
The Talensi District Director of the NCCE, Ms Dorcas Atia, explained that the engagement was part of activities being undertaken to create awareness among youth to be able to identify warning signals of violenT extremism and actions to be taken to curb such activities.
She said the project was working towards fighting against transnational organiSed crime, whiles promoting respect for human rights and the rule of law and also to equip the youth on the relevant information on violent extremism and radicalism, so that they guard against being recruited to cause violence.
“The youth are our future leaders and there is the need for them to exhibit spirit of patriotism, civic responsibility and social cohesion in their communities that they find themselves and also improve their knowledge and attitude on the culture of tolerance and non-violence to become ambassadors for peace,” she said.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, TONGO
