The Security Council has also programmed to sensitise a number of communities, particularly those along the highways, by assisting them to set up Neighbourhood Watch Committees to help stem rising criminal activities in the Region.

“REGSEC has set up a Regional security fund to support the series of activities that have been lined up to deal with insecurity in the region,” Alhaji Alhassan Sulemana, the Regional Minister who is also Chairman of REGSEC,  told Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) members Wednesday.

He said a committee has been established by REGSEC to manage the fund and are expected to report to the RCC from time to time about it utilisation and sustenance.

He expressed appreciation to the Upper West branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union for being the first to contribute to the Fund.

“I must acknowledge that GPRTU is the first to contribute to this fund,” he said: “I therefore wish to appeal to all well-meaning Ghanaians, assemblies, organisations and the general public to contribute to this worthy courses.”

Alhaji Sulemana said security remained a paramount ingredient for the necessary development of any society to take place and therefore appealed to the people to play their part in crime prevention and reduction by providing the police with information on criminal activities.

He reported that the Region was peaceful throughout the year without, except some disagreements relating to enskinments of chiefs in local communities.

“We wish to appeal to the region’s house of chiefs and the various traditional councils to get these disagreements addressed before they degenerate into full blown conflicts,” he said.

The REGSEC chairman said cases of robbery especially on the highways were swiftly dealt by the security personnel who quickly came in with intensified patrols and police visibility.

“This has resulted in the reduction of robbery of late,” he said: “In fact, some of the notorious criminals are in the grips of the law enforcement authorities.”

The region is collaborating through joint meetings and personnel deployment in joint patrols with the Northern REGSEC to fight robberies along the highways.

Municipal and District Chief Executives who responded to various questions about the security situation in their areas said there was general peace except some pockets of disputes which were being resolved peacefully.

They also reported the districts have joint operations in their common areas identified as hotspot for criminal activities to tame the tide of insecurity to allow people to go about freely in their daily lives and do businesses.