The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has asked citizens to support the security agencies by volunteering information on any act that may threaten or compromise the peace and security of the country.
This was the outcome of an engagement with chiefs and people of Sanga, a farming community in the South Dayi District of the Volta region on violent extremism and terrorism.
Mr Bosson Amedenu, the South Dayi District Director of the Commission said, the engagement formed part of the Commission’s campaign to sensitise the populace on violent extremism, national cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
The Director said when the citizens were equipped with the relevant information on violent extremism and radicalism and their devastating effects, they would guard against being involved in them.
Mr Amedenu said the peace and security of the country must be paramount to every citizen and that they must conduct themselves in a manner that would not jeopardize the current prevailing peace.
Mr Oral-Robert Amenyo, Deputy Volta Regional Director of the Commission, took the participants through early warning signals, community surveillance and other mechanisms to be deployed to prevent terrorism.
He underscored the importance of community surveillance and neighbourhood watch and asked the people to intensify them to forestall any threat.
Mr Amenyo asked the community to use Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) or any other appropriate channels to address their grievances and desist from resorting to violent means.
Mr Kenneth Kponor, Volta Regional Director of the Commission, said every citizen had a role to play in curbing violent extremism and its related activities.
He said Ghana was bordered by countries in which terrorists’ activities were ongoing, which threatened the security of the country, thus there was a need for all to be security cautious and to remain vigilant.
The community members were worried about proliferation of small arms in the country, and urged the government to put measures in place to control them.
They asked the government to retool the security agencies, especially the police, to enable them to execute their duties effectively and efficiently, so that the country would remain safe and peaceful.
They appealed to the government to institute mechanisms to deal with recent killings and armed robbery in the country, saying the situation was troubling.
Togbe Avali Kwadjo IV, chief of the community, called on the government to take necessary actions to address the unemployment situation in the country.
He said unemployment was one of the factors contributing to insecurity in most countries, therefore every effort must be made to create jobs for the people, especially the youth.
The engagement was in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security, and was held under the theme: Empowering Ghanaians to stand for national cohesion and inclusive participation.
The Commission also held similar engagements with the chief and people of Tsatee in the same district to educate them on the need to avoid violent extremism and protect the peace of the country for accelerated development.