Saltpond (C/R), Aug 29, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region has organised a sensitization workshop to educate the youth in the area on the devastating impacts of secessionism and violent extremism.
The workshop, which was supported by the Ministry of National Security, was interspersed with film shows that depicted the negative implications of violence and touched the hearts of many of the participating youth.
It was aimed at engaging the youth to understand the dangers of secessionism and violent extremism to avoid such activities.
Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, the Deputy Regional Director of NCCE, underscored the importance of national cohesion and peaceful coexistence and said the threat to national cohesion was not only caused by the unguided desire of leaders to attain political office, but by any citizen who did not respect the rights of others.
Such practices, in most cases, he noted, led to ethnocentrism and other vices which were threating the sovereignty of the State and jeopardizing national unity.
“Let’s choose to live peacefully because when peace is assured, development is assured. Let us all be duty bearers in ensuring that peace prevails in all situations”, he stated.
Alhaji Mohammed noted that peace was an integral part of nation-building because development only thrived in the midst of unity while violence set the clock of progress backwards.
On the way forward, the NCCE Director underscored the need for an intensified education on religious and political tolerance with vigilance against any form of influence.
He called on all democratic Institutions to rise up through campaigns to whip up citizens' awareness on the need for the general populace not to misuse their rights and freedoms.
Mr. William Baffoe-Mensah, Central Regional Security Coordinator who took participants through the national framework for countering violent extremism and terrorism, mentioned marginalisation, youth unemployment, inequality, discrimination and denial of rights, civil liberties as some of the causes.
Other pushing factors that fuel violent extremism, include; environmental and socio-economic grievances.
He said though Ghana had not witnessed major terrorist activity, there were signs and entreated Ghanaians to volunteer information to security agencies to counter terrorist activities in the country.
He urged all to help promote good governance, disassociate from bad companies and assist in gathering information to enforce security.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Kwawu, the Mfantseman District Police Commander educated the participants on public order Act and Vigilantism and Related offenses Acts.
He called on them to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR)to settle issues with friends and families.
Source: GNA (https://www.gna.org.gh/1.21162761)
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