The North East Gonja District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held an Inter-party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) meeting as part of measures to prevent political violence and ensure peaceful coexistence in the area.
It was a peacebuilding consultative meeting with representatives of political parties and other stakeholders aimed at averting violent extremism in the country.
Participants included representatives of political parties, traditional authorities, faith-based organisations, persons living with disabilities, and security agencies amongst others in the district in the Savannah Region.
They were taken through how to monitor and report threats and vulnerabilities to violent extremism in various communities, ways to detect youth radicalisation and signs of recruitment, and mediation and resolution of local conflicts.
They were also educated on the dangers of misinformation and disinformation on social media and advised to always verify information before sharing and
to be cautious of divisive narratives that could fuel extremism.
Miss Martha Bagbin, North East Gonja District Director of NCCE, speaking during the meeting, held at Kpalbe, reiterated the importance of the IPDC and its role in ensuring peaceful coexistence and national cohesion.
She called on community members to stay united to enable them to detect any suspicious characters in their communities and alert security agencies for quick response.
She encouraged participants to vote for political parties and candidates based on issues and their ability to address community concerns rather than being swayed by monetary incentives or false promises.
Sergeant Salifu Mohamed from the Kpalbe Police Station assured the participants of the readiness of the Ghana Police Service to provide security before, during and after the December polls.
He urged community members not to shield criminals and expressed the need for them to work together with the Police to fight crime and ensure law and order in the area.
Mr Josh
ua Yeboah, North East Gonja District Director of the Electoral Commission, told members of political parties not to act based on rumours but to cross-check information from the Commission.
He said ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections was the hallmark of the Commission.
Source: Ghana News Agency