Mr Jafaru Alsadiq Omar, the Bolgatanga Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), says National Cohesion is a key ingredient to attaining peaceful coexistence and sustainable development and every Ghanaian must contribute to achieving it.
He said there could not be any meaningful development and improvement in the livelihood of the vulnerable in a volatile environment and urged all stakeholders to work together and prioritise the common identity as Ghanaians above individual ideologies and interests.
The Municipal Director made the call in Bolgatanga at an Interparty Dialogue Committee (IPDC) meeting organized by the Commission as part of efforts to prevent violent extremism and radicalism.
The project had funding from the European Union (EU).
Mr Omar said Ghana was bordered by countries, which had experienced the activities of violent extremists, and it was the youth who were mostly targeted to be recruited to perpetuate such nefarious atrocities.
He said all stakeholders needed to help train the youth to resist such groups.
He said when the sense of discipline, nationalism and patriotism was instilled in the youth, they would avoid activities that were likely to destabilize the country and instead channel their energy to contributing to the development of the country.
The Municipal Director urged the members of the IPDC to intensify education, especially among the youth to understand the consequences of engaging in violent activities.
Chief Superintendent of Police Richard Anaba Salifu, the Bolgatanga Municipal Police Commander, noted that most of the youth recruited to cause mayhem in neighbouring countries were drug addicts and urged Ghanaians to support the police to protect the country from extremists.
The Police Commander appealed to residents to assist the police service with relevant information to help curb crime as security was a shared responsibility.
He also called on Ghanaians to report any suspicious characters to the police for appropriate investigation and action.
Mr Victor Nuworkpor, the Regional Deputy Director of the NCCE, said Ghana was at risk of violent extremism which could cause food insecurity, loss of lives and properties and urged all Ghanaians to be tolerant and help the police to fight crime.
Source: gna.org.gh.com
