Ms Saadia Baba Sampana, the Bolgatanga East District Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has warned that any setback to Ghana's democracy during Ghana's 2024 Elections will be a dent on its gains and the Sub region. She said Violent Extremism continued to be serious threat for preservation of Democratic Governance, which is essential for peace, prosperity and safety in Ghana and the Sub-region at large. 'Terrorism and other forms of violence including violent extremism have potential to derail the Democratic gains Ghana has made as the country prepares for the 2024 elections in less than one year,' she stated. The Director made this statement during a peace building consultative meetings with the Inter Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC), to take steps to avert any violent extremism and to promote peaceful co- existence and national cohesion. The meeting which is part of Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) was also for the Political Party stakeholders to take steps to pr event the use of electioneering activities and platforms to perpetuate violence either by forces both internal and external. She thanked the European Union for sponsoring the Commission to carry out the PCVE in Northern Ghana. District Superintendent of Police, Charles Simpa who took stakeholders through the theme for the engagement meeting stated that violent extremism was real and hampered any sustainable development and indicated that many pockets of conflicts in the country including electoral violence affected its economic growth. He said Formed Police Units (FPU) personnel have been trained, equipped, and stationed in all the districts and as match up to the general elections would work with its counterparts in the country to keep the peace and to curb any violence and extremism. He said the youth, children and women were the highest at risk of violence during conflicts and urged stakeholders to advise the youth to desist from any acts that would breach the peace in the area. 'Don't let anyone inst igate the youth to breech the laws,' and urged them to say something when they see something. As part of community surveillance Mr Simpa called on communities to liaise with their Assembly members to assist the police to keep the communities safe. He also gave emergency lines as 191, 18555 ,112. Mr Albert Agana, the District Chief Executive said the fragile peace enjoyed in the district called for ways to maintain the peace as the country drew close to the 2024 elections. The DCE, recent happening in the Bolgatanga Municipality indicated the Bawku Conflict was extending its wings and the pockets of violence in the area called for the IPDC to discuss channels to maintain peace in the district irrespective of party affiliation. He said Government was working hard to ensure a peaceful election and therefore has sought donor support to implement policies that promotes peace and one of them was the implementation of many projects that promoted infrastructure development, human development, and social cohesion which the Bolga East district is also benefitting especially the SOCO project. Some representatives of the parties on voter transfers and warned that if people will transfer their votes from one electoral area to the other only to go and foment trouble and indicated that it was better such people remained where they were since such actions will not be taken lightly. Source: Ghana News Agency