Kathleen Addy, the chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has made a call to the populace to contribute to maintaining the current state of peace in the nation.
She said, “We have nowhere to go, so we want peace in Ghana.”
Mr. Addy made a plea for community involvement in Titiaka, a farming community in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region, regarding at-risk groups and PCVE (Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism).
The eight Northern Border Regions of Ghana’s 59 Districts were participating in the program, which was funded by the European Union.
Encouraging peace, tolerance, and involvement in the battle against violent extremism are the goals of the in-person interaction.
According to her, the relative peace we enjoy in Ghana is a draw for citizens of other nations, including Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Burkina Faso. As such, she said, nothing should be done to disturb this peace.
“Let us keep an open mind and remember that we won’t be divided by the impending 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections,” she said.
Misunderstandings would inevitably arise because we are all human, but Ms. Addy said what really mattered was how they were settled amicably.
She asserted that it was necessary to respect the rights and legitimate interests of others while tolerating differing opinions.
The NCCE’s Oti Regional Director, Mr Robert Kwesi Boame, urged the attendees to report questionable individuals to law enforcement so that swift action could be taken because there was a genuine risk of terrorist attacks on communities.
He said terrorist attacks in neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Togo and Nigeria posed a serious threat to Ghana’s peace and security, and it called for security consciousness among the citizenry as the country was not immune to such attacks.
Mr Setriakor Kwesi Gagakuma, the Deputy Oti Regional Director of NCCE asked the participants, especially the youth not to be lured into joining violent extremist groups, as they were the target of terrorist recruiters.
He also advised landlords, opinion leaders and Chiefs to check the background of visitors who came to their communities, as terrorists often camouflaged themselves as visitors and carried out their activities unawares.
Mr Sena Nyabi, the Chief of Titiaka appealed for the reshaping of the roads from Koto-Nkwanta to Titiaka, and the provision of a Teachers’ Bungalow for the Titiaka D/A Primary School.
The participants commended the NCCE for organising the programme.
