The Akwapim South District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr. Alex Owusu Achaw, has urged Ghanaians to be security conscious to reduce their vulnerability to terrorist attacks.
According to the NCCE Director, Ghana was not insusceptible to terrorist attacks, since the country was not an island, coupled with the emerging trends of security threats from terrorists and extremist’s activities could have diverse implications for the country’s stability.
Speaking at a programme, organised by the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA) at Aburi in the Akwapim South Municipality of the Eastern Region, Mr. Owusu stated that although Ghana had enjoyed some amount of sustainable peace and stability for several decades, the growing insecurity in the West African sub-region left much to be worried about.
Mr. Alex Owusu Achaw explained that the deteriorating situation in the Sahel Region, and the threat on Ghana’s border with Burkina Faso affirmed the issue.
He asked members of the GNTDA not to touch suspicious items at lorry parks, markets, and places of worship, schools and even on the streets, as explosive materials could be planted there.
On signs of radicalisation, he said the suspects may become increasingly argumentative, refuse to listen to divergent views, being overly secretive about online viewing, becoming abusive to children, converting to a new religion, and distancing from old friends among others, as guides of identifying possible radicalisation.
Mr. Alex Owusu Achaw said it was often impossible to identify a terrorist by appearance, nationality and language, adding that they could only identify a terrorist threat by observing or hearing about suspicious activity that might lead to a criminal act.
He asked the participants to check the backgrounds of visitors they received thoroughly, as most terrorists camouflaged themselves as visitors and carry out their activities unawares.
Again, he advised them to form community watchdog committees in consultation with the police as measures in curbing crimes in their communities.
The Eastern Regional Chairman of the GNTDA, Mr. Ampaw, thanked the NCCE team for enlightening them on security issues, and promised to convey the message to the rest of his members.
