NCCE cautions youth about violent extremism

The chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kathleen Addy is calling for national interventions to change the mindset and orientation of the Ghanaian youth in order to harness their energies and talents for national development.

She said that Ghana is a youth-dominated country, and there was therefore a need to conscientise them about their place in national development but not use them for destructive violence.

Addy made the clarion call at the 3rd national stakeholders’ dialogue on violent extremism held in Tamale. It was under the theme: “Preventing and containing violent extremism,” a project being implemented by the NCCE with support from the European Union (EU).

She appealed to Ghanaians, especially the energetic youth, to stay away from violence and extremist tendencies before, during, and after the 2024 general elections.

“No matter the situation or the provocation, violence is never the solution,” Addy said.

The Northern regional minister, Alhaji Shaini Alhasssan Shaibu in a speech read on his behalf, called for partnerships and the sharing of best practices and best strategies that would serve as a blueprint for preventing and containing violent extremism in Ghana.

He called on Ghanaians to work tirelessly to build a society that is free from extreme ignorance, hunger, and poverty so as to prevent undue exploitation of the youth by unscrupulous persons.

The dialogue meeting brought together religious leaders, traditional leaders, young people from various institutions, personnel from the security services, the EU, and other key stakeholders in the five regions of the north.