The Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has relaxed restrictions in Bawku and Doba-Kandiga following relative peace in the areas in recent times.
The Chairman of REGSEC, Hon. Stephen Yakubu in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the Regional Coordinating Council, Alhaji Abubakari Inusah, said as a result of the peace, economic activities had bounced back to normal.
At the second edition of the Interaction Meeting of Battalion of Commanders Course in Bolgatanga, the Chair, who is the Regional Minister, said “It is therefore heart-warming to note that most of the restrictions which were placed on these communities have been relaxed or lifted completely.”
A total of 20 Military Officers made of 17 males and three females attended the course.
Hon Yakubu acknowledged the contributions of Government, members of REGSEC, the National Peace Council and other stakeholders, which culminated into the relative peace in the Region.
The Minister continued to appeal to residents of the Region to provide the Security Agencies with relevant information to help sustain the recent peace to promote the necessary economic growth and development in the Region.
REGSEC, Hon. Yakubu noted was very mindful of threats of extremists’ attack from the Sahel Region, saying a number of security measures including regular REGSEC meetings to review strategies and rigorous sensitization on the “See Something, Say Something” campaign.
The Minister said Government would invest a total of GHȻ311,229,134.00 into skills training and start-up capital for the youth in the five countries for a five-year period in the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project.
That, he said was intended to prevent extremists from taking advantage of the unemployment situation among the youth in the beneficiary countries namely; Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Ghana.
The youth would be trained in various sectors of the economy including education and health under the project.
He said the project would be part of Regional Coordinating platforms and dialogue aimed at strengthening Regional collaborations across the five countries to response to fragility, conflict and violence in the Gulf of Guinea.
Hon. Yakubu added that the Government of Ghana was collaborating with neighboring countries to secure its territorial boundaries to prevent any possible attack from the Sahel Region through the security and resilience of the border communities.