The Municipal Chief Executive for the Lawra Municipal Assembly in the Upper West Region, Mr Jacob Dery, has called on the youth to be wary of suspicious people in their communities who might seek to recruit them into violent groups with enticing offers.
He mentioned that due to their exuberance, the youth had become targets for extremist and other violent groups, but stated that if they were vigilant, the youth could play vital role in preventing violent extremism.
He indicated that the youth was the active sector of society and they interacted with a lot of people, hence if they applied vigilance, they would be able to identify suspicious persons and report them to the appropriate authorities for action.
Mr Dery made the observation on Monday at Lawra at a youth engagement meeting organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on preventing and containing violent extremism aimed at building the capacity of the youth on the subject matter.
The essence of the meeting was to deepen patriotism and national cohesion among the youth in the municipality and beyond in the fight against violent extremism, and to also create awareness among the youth on the increase of violence in neighbouring countries.
The MCE said preventing the infiltration of violent extremists and subsequent recruitment of the youth into their act, required collaboration from every sector of society.
He assured the NCCE of the support of the municipal assembly for its activities in the municipality in a bid to prevent violent extremism, and the recruitment of the youth into their activities.
For his part, the Municipal Director of the Commission, Mr Jesurun Mornah Ninge, noted with concern the menace of violent extremism across the globe and said it had caused the loss of lives and properties with its attendant problems of poverty and retardation of development.
“The commission has since 2021 been implementing these sensitisation programmes which was informed by research findings on violent extremism with support from the European Union,” he said.
He advised the participants to be vigilant in dealing with suspicious people who appeared friendly on the surface but with the intention to lure them into the act of violence and extremism.
The Acting Secretary of the NCCE, Madam Lucille Hewlet Annan encouraged participants to be very careful of who they interacted with, saying that extremists did not appear different and could pretend to look very harmless in order to attract unsuspecting people to their side.
“People of this nature can sometimes be known by their looks and how they conduct themselves and go about their activities,” she said and encouraged the youth to be wary of such people to avoid been radicalised.
FROM LYDIA DARLINBGTON FORDJOUR, LAWRA
