The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged the Ghanaian youth to guard themselves against acts of violent extremists, despite the economic hardship being experienced in the country and the world at large.
The commission said it had identified the youth as vulnerable groups who are likely to be recruited by violent extremists as experienced in the sub-regions to cause havoc, and there is the need for them to be sensitized and guided.
“This is a time of economic hardship, and there is no running away from it because we are all facing these kinds of economic challenges that are having an impact on the social setup of our communities, making it difficult to secure jobs with our young people frustrated,”, the commission acknowledged.
Ms. Kathleen Addy, the Chairperson of the NCCE, revealed this when she spoke to Mark Smith at the back of the 2nd Dialogue on Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) held in Bolgatanga on Thursday, September 28, 2023.
The dialogue brought together experts and stakeholders, including youth groups, chiefs, security agencies, political actors, influencers, and religious leaders, among others.
It was held on the theme “Preventing Radicalisation of the Youth in the Wake of Coup D’états in the Sub-Region: Perspective from Stakeholders”.
The PCVE is an 18-month European Union (EU) funded project being implemented in eight border regions of the country, including the Upper East, Upper West, North East, Savannah, Northern, Bono, Bono East, and the Oti Regions.
Under this framework, the NCCE is mandated to create awareness about violent extremism, carry out public education, and facilitate activities to engender among the citizens of Ghana security consciousness, social inclusiveness, community cohesion, and situational awareness.
The chairperson emphasized that the commission under the project has also rolled out similar dialogues to engage people and solicit their views on how they can collectively prevent and contain violent extremism in Ghana.
She called on the general public to be vigilant and provide useful information on activities that have the potential to strengthen state security, adding that one should not rush to call for a coup d,etat or the country at large would bear the brunt.
Source:A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog |Bolgatanga
