Mr Imoro Tahidu, Tamale Metropolitan Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called on the citizenry to be vigilant and report strange occurrences and behaviours to security agencies in their communities to help in the fight against violent extremism.
He said it was important for community members to complement the efforts of the security and other law enforcement agencies towards ensuring that there was peace and stability.
Mr Tahidu made the call at an engagement forum for some identifiable youth groups in the Tamale Metropolis on measures to prevent and contain violent extremists in the country.
He emphasised that “The efforts to fight against violent extremism in our communities must be seen as a shared responsibility amongst the security agencies, stakeholders and community members.”
The groups included Northern Youth Parliament, Activista Ghana, and Ghana Red Cross Society, among others.
The event formed part of the implementation of the European Union sponsored project dubbed: “Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE)”, which is being implemented by the NCCE.
Chief Superintendent of Police, Alhaji Iddrisu Tanko Issifu, Tamale District Police Commander, urged community members to adhere to early warning signs of the activities of violent extremists and endeavour to report to the necessary authorities for the appropriate actions to be taken to curb their insurgence.
Chief Superintendent Alhaji Issifu emphasised that whilst signs of violent extremism might differ from community to community, it was important that members prioritised peaceful coexistence so as not to allow the extremists to penetrate their communities.
Mr Ben Kasimu Wumbla, Conflict Mitigation Coordinator at the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, called on stakeholders to use dialogue, negotiation and mediation as a tool in settling disputes in their communities to ensure that those disputes did not escalate into conflicts.
He said violent extremists took advantage of minor conflicts and disruptions among community members to perpetrate violence, adding that communities must endeavour to live in peace and harmony with one another.
Mr Yakubu Mananu, Assembly Member, Dakpema Electoral Area, Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, called on government and other non-governmental organisations to provide jobs and other employment opportunities for the youth to ensure that they were not recruited into the activities of violent extremists.
Participants during group discussions pledged their commitment to help sustain the prevailing peace in the country.
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