Corruption, economic woes expose Ghanaian youth to violent extremism – NCCE

The National Commission of Civic Education (NCCE) has called on policy implementers and relevant stakeholders to be cautious and forward strategies that can help detect, prevent, and contain violent extremism among youth.

According to the commission, the continued records of corruption, economic mismanagement, and unequal distribution of state resources were but a few of the factors leading the youth to violent extremism.

“As a commission, we cannot say we have records of extremism in the region or country yet, but we cannot also deny the factor that we are not a step closer to such either. Because if you look at our 2021 and 2023 reports, all the factors (corruption, economic woes, and unequal distribution of resources) that are fueling such activities in our neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and others are the same here in the country," the commission said.

“So, as stakeholders and policymakers, we have to begin putting in practicable strategies that can help the youth, students, and public to be able to detect, prevent and contain violent extremism when they come into contact with them in their communities,” it added.

The Upper East Regional Director of the NCCE, Mawuli Agbenu, was speaking to Class 91.3 FM’s Upper East Regional Correspondent Moses Appiah on the sidelines of a sensitisation programme held at the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo.

He noted that second-cycle institutions could as well be potential targets of extremist attacks.

Mr Agbenu explained that the recent riots in the various schools have further exposed the vulnerability of the schools and students to some extent that extremists if present could find it easier to strike.

“You will all agree with me that the recent riots at our second-circle institutions speak volumes, and can be used as initiating points for these extremists and once these people notice that our students are used to violence or rioting, they can begin recruiting them.

“So, authorities ought to up their games and begin to implement educational strategies to that effect,” he indicated.

Touching on the programme, Mr. Agbenu stated it was designed with funding from the European Union to sensitise the youth, including students from Secondary and Tertiary institutions on ways to detect, prevent and contain violent extremism in various settings.

“Of course, you know in the region, we don't have those kinds of rioting issues too much in the tertiary institutions as we have at the secondary level, however, we know that the same youth, most of them are young people who hail from various communities that can be potential victims if they are not equipped with the knowledge of how to detect, prevent and contain violent extremism.”

He also disclosed that the programme targets eight regions including the Upper East, Upper West, North-East, Northern, Savannah, Bono, Bono-East, and Oti Regions.

Source: classfmonline

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