Resist being recruited into violent extremist groups – NCCE

Yagaba (NER), Sept. 21, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has asked Ghanaian youth to resist enticement into violent extremist and terrorist groups that would push them to destabilize the country and cause harm to human lives.

Mr. Thomas Issahaku Imoro, the Mamprugu-Moagduri District Director of the Commission said this at a youth engagement forum organized by the NCCE at Yagaba in the North East Region.

The event was part of the implementation of a European Union (EU) sponsored project dubbed, “Preventing Electoral Violence and Providing Security to the Border Regions of Ghana (NORPREVSEC) aimed at fighting violent extremism and radicalism.

Mr. Imoro stated that “terrorists have been operating in the West African sub-region within the last four years and have attacked countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso and it is mostly the youth they recruit to cause these attacks.”

The District Director explained that when the youth allowed themselves to be recruited to perpetuate violence, it would destroy the peace of the country and disrupt progress in development.
He, therefore, urged the youth to be tolerant, law-abiding, and patriotic to fight for the development agenda of the country.

Mr. Salifu Damma, a Peace and Conflict Resolution Expert, said violent extremism could effectively be prevented when the youth were concerned by sharing relevant information with the security agencies about communities, especially criminal activities.
That, he said, would help the security services particularly the Ghana Police Service to identify suspicious characters and fish them out.

Constable Eric Akonu, a representative of the Ghana Police Service at Yagaba urged the youth to be ambassadors of peace and urged them not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to foment trouble.

The NORPREVSEC project is meant to provide and resource the youth with relevant information on what violent extremism is, how they could get people recruited, and places they are likely to attack as well as preventive measures.