The beneficiary educational institutions were the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (C.K.T-UTAS), Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU), Azantilow Senior High Technical School and Fumbisi SHS.

The event was sponsored under the Atlantic Corridor project being undertaken by the NPC, with sponsorship from the governments of Australia, Norway and Germany through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Speaking at separate events, the Upper East Regional Executive Secretary of the NPC, Ali Anankpieng, urged the youth to use acceptable and appropriate channels to get their grievances resolved, instead of resorting to violence.

He stated that violent extremists were always on the lookout for areas already experiencing conflict, political violence and other forms of unrest to take advantage of it to perpetrate their criminal acts.

Therefore, he entreated the youth not to allow themselves to be radicalised to foment trouble in their communities, as it would create the environment for violent extremism to be perpetuated by the actors.

He said: “Undoubtedly, the youth have a stake in protecting the country’s peace and stability for the benefit of all”, adding, “it is important for the youth to be conversant with what is happening in order not to be entangled in it.”

He added that due to happenings in Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Nigeria and Togo, Ghana could not sit aloof, asking all stakeholders to take the necessary steps to ensure that the country was protected from violent extremism.

An Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) in charge of investigation at the Regional Office of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Clement Awaitey, said increased immigration checkpoints on the Bolgatanga-Tamale road was to arrest suspected individuals who have illegally entered the country.

New security level

The Upper East Regional Commander of the National Intelligence Bureau, Emmanuel Owusu, stated that security had moved to another level with the whole society expected to protect the state.

He stated that it required patriotism for the people to support the security agencies in protecting the country’s peace, stressing “we all have to assist the security agencies with information to apprehend troublemakers.”

The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, in a speech read on his behalf, said due to happenings in Ghana’s neighbouring countries, there was the need for prudent measures to be put in place to prevent a spillover of the attacks into the country.