Let’s encourage Police-Community relations to fight violent extremism – NCCE

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCC) has called for positive relations and cooperation from both the Police service and citizens to help fight the infiltration of violent extremists' activities.This, the NCCE said, would go a long way to foster unity, maintain law and order and community safety.Mr Taalar Amatus, the District Officer In-Charge of the Lambussie NCCE office made the call during a Police/Community dialogue session held in Billaw, a community in the Lambussie District.The dialogue session was to build trust, cooperation and unity among the Police and the community members for effective law enforcement and community safety in the Lambussie District.The event formed part of the NCCE's activities under the European Union (EU) Supported Programme, 'Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE),' action in the five regions in Northern Ghana.The dialogue session was attended by various stakeholders including the security services, community leaders and community members from various groups such as chiefs and elders, queen mothers, landlords, Assembly members and unit committees, security personnel, the media, faith-based organizations, youth groups leaders, among others.Mr Amatus, addressing participants said Ghana was facing the looming risk of violent extremism spillover from the Sahel and neighbouring countries with its borders remaining porous and with parts of the country currently experiencing localized communal, chieftaincy, land, and intra-religious conflicts.He said the Lambussie District shared border with Burkina Faso and imperative to have community and police stakeholders dialogue session to help build trust and keep community members alert to curb violent extremism by reporting any suspicious acts or activities to the security agencies in the communities.He urged everyone to help resound the national security slogan 'if you see something say something' by being alert and looking out for and reporting suspicious individuals or groups who will likely perpetuate violence adding that 'we are in an election year and that people use electioneering activities and platforms to perpetuate violence'.Mr Alhassan Mohammed, the Lambussie District Police Commander, assured that the police personnel were ready to protect and safeguard life and properties in the district, thereby, calling for a collaborative efforts and community cohesion to maintain law and order.'I want to assure you that as the District Commander of Police, my doors are open to you to report cases of law offenders to be brought to book and enforce the law to avert violence activities or unlawful behaviours in our communities' he said.Mr Mohammed Abdul Manan, the Hamile Stationed Immigration Commander, said Violent Extremist activities and terrorist attacks on some of the immediate neighbours of Ghana and the Sahel serves as a reminder of the continued threat that terrorism poses to the people of Ghana.He assured that the Immigration Service was determined to take the necessary measures to preserve the safety and security of movement of people, goods, and services in and out of the district borders.Source: Ghana News Agency