The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with Collation for Northern Development (Northcode) have organised an engagement meeting with residents of Lamporga, Kilampobile and Gbongbon.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues bordering security, peace and violence extremism.
Also, the meeting was to give the residents the opportunity to share with the team issues of concern in the community.
According the Bole District Director of NCCE Madam Konlan Margaret, the meeting was important because they are some home grown issues hindering security and some other external factors such as invasion of foreigners like Fulani herdsmen who destroys farmlands with their cattle. She said this has brought a lot of conflict between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the area.
She shared with those who attended the engagement meeting some factors that can lead to violence if not well checked.
The Technical Lead for NorthCode Ghana Mr Dakurugu Andrew Yahaya said that as a development organization, their area covers all the five regions in the north.
He said their mission in Lamporga was basically on peace and security in Northern Ghana.
He said the meeting was a community peace durbar which has to do with mining related insecurity in Bole district.
He explained that mining does not occur in isolation and that it is linked to several related factors which are security vulnerability issues.
The Technical Lead for NorthCode Ghana also said these security vulnerability factors are the proximity to the border, vulnerability linked to mining activities invasion of Fulani herdsmen on farmland and so on.
Moreso, according to Mr Dakurugu Andrew Yahaya, some home grown issues if not checked may lead to violence extremism and can trigger insecurity far ahead of external factors.
He said the engagement afforded them the opportunity to share with the community some of these factors and also listen to the community on these issues. And also share with them what they need to do to minimize the risks. And to build their local capacity to be able to address some of the issues in the community.
Mr Dakurugu Andrew Yahaya said their organization was working in partnership with Civil Society Organisations, government and the District Assemblies.
In relation to the insecurity issues, the activities of Fulani herdsmen came out strongly.
A Fulani herdsman was invited to share his thoughts on workable solutions to minimize or eradicate insecurity completely.
Amidu Asigiri Fulani encouraged the farmers to be patient with the Fulani herdsmen and that anytime there were issues both parties should be patient and send the case to chiefs to address rather than engaging in fights among themselves.
Source: nkilgifmonline.com
