The Ketu North Municipal Director for National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Prosper Kofi Afealete has urged the youth to use the right channel to address their grievances.
He was speaking at a day’s Youth Activist Workshop organised by the National Commission for Civic Education, NCCE in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security on “Secessionism and Violent Extremism, National Cohesion and National Development”.
Touching on Grievance Handling procedures: Public Order Act and Vigilantism, he admonished the youth to recognise the laws of Ghana, which is the 1992 Constitution.
He said the Public Order Act has given them the right to freedom of Assembly including freedom to take part in processions and demonstrations, but the organisers must work with security agencies, like the Police for the sake of peace and security.
Mr Afealete further revealed how Vigilante groups are gradually hiding behind Religious groups, CSOs, Keep-Fit Clubs and the likes to carry out their heinous crimes in communities. “It will surprise you that, vigilantism is operated on different levels and in different forms these days and no longer with names that can easily be identified and dealt with.
Some are even trying to use religious groups, keep-fit clubs and others” he reiterated. He advised the youth to be mindful of their associations and report crime whenever it is detected to the appropriate authorities at all times.
The representative from the National Security, Mr George Abizy Baffour who is the 2 IC for National Investigations Bereaux, NIB, Aflao Division also said for a nation to provide security for its citizens, the first step is to address their grievances and feelings and the creation of the National Security Ministry is a recognition of that efforts towards the provision of peace and security.
He called on the youth to assist security agencies to deal with threats in their various communities.
Mr Baffour speaking on “Prevention of Violent Extremism in Ghana“ says, the extremists and terrorists start their threats unknowingly but gradually in communities among small groups or individuals and thus gain momentum to destroy the peace and development of a Nation.
“Some of these terrorist groups he hinted, sponsor students by paying their fees and travelling abroad packages just to sell their evil ideologies and recruit them to carry out crimes”.
The NIB 2-IC added that, the issues of the Western Togoland is beyond the Volta Region and a regarded those actions of few individuals as Security threats. He advised the public and Citizens to remain united to speed up the pace of development.
Speaking on “Peaceful Co-existence and National Development”, the Roman Catholic Parish Priest for Dzodze, Rev. Fr Frederick Seddoh-Henyo advised the youth to weigh their actions and not to allow their emotions to control their reasoning.
He identifies some threats to peaceful co-existence like ideologies, indiscipline behaviour among the youth, culture of greed and selfishness that breeds violent, feeling of superiority over others or tribes, negative ethnicity and weakening of the family unit.
Fr. Sedfoh-Henyo opined that all these affect the moral values of the youth. He also called on Ghanaians to dialogue among each other for a peaceful co-existence.
The Chairperson for the workshop and former Volta Regional Police Commander, Togbi Bedi Ahadzie lV lamented on how some Chiefs are being used by political parties to disrupt peace and development in their own communities.
He tasked all traditional authorities to be true representatives of peace and unity to speed up the pace of Development. Togbi Bedi also commended the NCCE for their good works as far as deepening democracy in Ghana is concerned.
The Commission Secretary, Mr Tito Voegborlo also encouraged the youth not to lose hope in Ghana, but birth a new love of patriotism to foster peace and unity for national development as he reiterated the constitutional provisions of Ghana as a Unitary State.
The NCCE with support from the National Security Ministry is currently organising workshops in selected Districts in the country to educate the youth on non violence, violent extremism and how to equip them with the basic knowledge on the laws and skills on non-violence to enable them participate both effectively and ethically in nation building.
The youth leaders trained will be expected to impart knowledge gained to their peers and be agents of change in their communities.
The theme of the nationwide workshop is “Empowering Ghanaians to stand for National Cohesion and Inclusive Participation”.
Present at the event were the Regional Director of NCCE, Mr Kenneth Kponor and the Media. The Youth Activists later issued a Communique after various group discussions and interactions.
Story By: Juliet Enam Obiri/Nationaltymes.com
