Residents of Kpedze Anoe in the Ho West District of the Volta Region, say they want a Police Barrier situated in the town to check activities of Okada riders.
They said since the community was a border town, the presence of the police would check any illegal activities such as smuggling of offensive weapons and illicit drugs the riders or drivers who ply the road might engage in.
The residents who made this known during a Town hall meeting on violent extremism and national cohesion, say they also needed speed rumps on their road to control the speed limit of drivers and riders.
They also want the government to deploy a special security task force that would be in the community to check secessionist and deviant activities in the community.
Mr Wisdom Eli Asem, Assemblyman for the Kpedze Sreme/Anoe Electoral Area noted, that the crime rate in the Area was alarming and needed to be checked.
He appealed to the government to introduce free apprenticeship programmes in the community for residents to learn various trades that would provide a source of living for them.
Mr Asem noted that access to telecommunication networks was a challenge to the community and was likely to affect interactions between security agencies and the community with regards to fighting violent extremism.
He called on the MTN network provider to work on their network access since it was the widely used network by the residents.
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) organised the meeting with support from the National Security Ministry.
Mr Dodzi Adjei, Ho West District Director, NCCE, took the community members through resolutions other communities passed in dealing with violent extremism activities.
He said extremist activities could be handled if community watchdogs were formed.
Pastor (Rtd) George Kofi Anku of the Kpedze Anoe Apostolic Church- Ghana who chaired the meeting, urged the residents to educate others on what they learnt.
He noted that development had not progressed in communities and nations that were not peaceful.
Pastor Anku said he stood against any form of secessionist activities since they were selfish and had no motive towards development.
He expressed gratitude to the organisers, traditional ruler and community members who availed themselves.
Mr Kenneth Kponor, Volta Regional Director, NCCE, said it was important to sensitise communities on the need to appreciate peace and work towards its sustainability.
He said the Commission had listened to the concerns the community raised.
Mr Kponor said there was the need for the community members, especially the youth to be security conscious since they lived in a border town with transport of goods being the main activity.
He said they must know what goods they carried and the content of what they carried.
The Regional Director called on parents to pay attention to their wards and check any unusual attitudes they exhibited.
He urged them to play their roles effectively towards the sustainability of peace in the nation.
Mr Christian Aboagye, Deputy Director of Finance of the Commission, called on citizens to unite and fight against “one common enemy” which was the one that would destroy others.
He noted that the nation shared boundaries with countries which experienced violent activities, hence the need to be cautious and advise the youth on people they engaged themselves with.
Mr Aboagye noted that “we are all Ghanaians and we are all one”.
