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Avoid making foul religious and tribal comments -Lawra NCCE Director
The Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Lawra Municipality of the Upper West Region, Mr Jesurun Ninge Mornah has advised the public to avoid making foul religious and tribal comments that had a tendency to fuel dissentions and violence.
He said unfavourable comments against people’s religion, tribe, culture and tradition which were tied to their identity, incited violence and therefore cautioned against the use of uncouth language to denigrate such social groupings.
The director made this known at a meeting by the Commission at the Brifoh Senior High School in the municipality to engage the students on violent extremism and counter terrorism and to also launch the Constitutional Week celebration in the municipality.
The engagement meeting formed part of efforts by the NCCE to create awareness on preventing and containing violent extremism under the European Union’s supported Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism Project (PCVE) by the NCCE.
“Religious, tribal and political issues are dear to the hearts of people so if they are not handled properly, they can degenerate into internal conflicts and attract extremists into the country because these are a group of people who are already peeved and feel they have not been treated right so they are tempted to join any force that promises to restore their dignity in society”, he elaborated.
In addition, Mr Mornah said issues such as environmental degradation that pushed herdsmen to settle in other countries, unemployment and nepotism as well as poverty, among others were some of the drivers of violent extremism.
The director suggested that communities created community-based surveillance groups to closely monitor activities of people and promptly report suspicious characters to appropriate authorities.
He also advised that there was the need for the use of peace building strategies to quell internal conflicts so that they did not serve as breeding grounds for extremist to recruit aggrieved persons into their scheme.
The Director used the opportunity to remind the students of the need to adhere to the constitution of the nation and to ensure that they did not flout it under any circumstance.
One of the facilitators at the meeting, Mr John Bosco Bedi, the Lawra Municipal Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) was more concerned about the exuberance of the youth recently and encouraged them to channel their energy to lucrative ventures and not into conflicts and violence.
He mentioned that extremist groups played on the vulnerability of the youth, particularly in the face of unemployment and low income to get them to join their cause and advised them to avoid juicy offers with huge financial benefits from unknown persons.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, LAWRA
The Ghana Tourism Development Company, GTDC, under the leadership of Prof.Kobby Mensah has launched GTDC Campus Tourism Office at the University of Ghana.
The initiative aims to promote educational and domestic tourism by providing structured campus tour experiences showcasing key heritage sites, including the Archaeology Museum and the School of Performing Arts.
It will also offer students their first travel experience across the continent and inculcate in them love to visit Ghana’s heritage sites.
Addressing the gathering at the launch yesterday, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, described tourism as a vehicle for education and heritage preservation, stressing that the sector must inspire citizens to value and protect national culture for future generations.
The minister highlighted tourism’s connection to disciplines such as history, the arts, economics and environmental science.
The minister further noted that the private sector is the engine of tourism economy, adding that the engines require fuel, which is talents.” by investing in these young people today, you are securing the quality, the innovation and competitiveness of our own industry for tomorrow.
She added that the establishment of the office represents a deliberate investment in the intellectual capital of the country.
The GTDC boss, Prof.Kobby Mensah, said,”at GTDC, we believe that if our tourism has to be sustainable, we have to promote domestic tourism and a very big part of it is getting students to appreciate tourism and helping them to organise tours.”
He added that the University of Ghana itself is a huge heritage site which must be explored.
Prof.Kobby Mensah noted that the initiative, which is one of many to be established across the country, is a joint partnership between GTDC and University of Ghana.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof.Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said the University is a custodian of heritage which goes beyond the structures and welcomed the establishment of the first Campus Tourism Office.
She was optimistic that the office would be put to good use to achieve the intended purpose.
The launch brought together Stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to nurturing future tourism and hospitality professionals.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Ghana has officially accepted an invitation to serve as Guest Country at Burkina Faso’s 22nd National Culture Week in Bobo-Dioulasso from April 22 to May 2, 2026.
The invitation was extended by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo, accompanied by the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Ghana, H.E. David Kabré.
Receiving the delegation, Abla Dzifa Gomashie reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to deepening cultural diplomacy and strengthening historic ties between the two nations.
She noted that the festival will create opportunities for young creatives, expand exhibition platforms and promote commercial exchange within the creative sector.
The event will feature cultural performances, a community village and gastronomy fair, an arts market, literary engagements, and a craft and trade fair.
Ghana’s participation is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations between John Dramani Mahama and Ibrahim Traoré, while fostering collaboration within the creative ecosystems of both countries.
