The Nandom Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has inaugurated the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) as part of measures to promote peace and security before, during and after the 2024 general election.

The committee comprises representatives of the various political parties in the Nandom constituency, security agencies, religious leaders, and the media, among others.

The initiative is spearheaded by the NCCE with financial support from the European Union (EU) to work towards averting violent extremism and promoting peaceful coexistence and national cohesion.

Speaking at the launch of the committee in Nandom, the Acting Nandom Municipal Director of the NCCE, Mr Issahaque T. Angme, said the committee would undertake peacebuilding activities in collaboration with other stakeholders in the municipality to achieve its set objectives.

"The above objectives will enable all stakeholders to collaborate to effectively confront the menace through concerned efforts to combat Violent Extremism and Terrorism (VET) before, during and after the 2024 general elections," he explained.

Mr Angme indicated that due to the proximity of the Nandom municipality to Burkina Faso, which was experiencing activities of VET, there was a dire need for the people in the municipality to take their security very seriously and expressed hope that the PBC would help in that regard

The Upper West Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr Victor Elikpilim Nuworkpor, commended the members of the committee for their commitment to safeguarding and promoting peace and security in the municipality.

He encouraged them to work together, which was a requirement for preventing the infiltration of unscrupulous persons into the municipality to cause mayhem, especially during the electioneering campaigns.

The Chairman of the IPDC, Reverend Dr. Stephen A. Koya expressed gratitude and appreciation to the committee members and the stakeholders for availing themselves to help chart a peace course for the municipality.

He emphasised the need for members of the IPDC to resort to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to settle misunderstandings, avoid politics of insults and incrimination among others and uphold objectivity, truth, and circumspection always.

He stated that since the formation, inauguration and operationalisation of the IPDC concept in the Nandom Municipality in 2016, a lot of successes had been chalked toward preventing Nandom Municipality from being a flashpoint.

"It has instituted and sustain. peace, cohesion, and social inclusion for development. Strategically peace before, during and after the 2016 and 2020 presidential a. parliamentary candidates' election had been chalked admirably," Rev. Dr. Koya explained.

The members of the committee unanimously resolved to proactively and with circumspection promote peace before, during and after the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Nandom Municipal IPDC is chaired by Rev. Dr Stephen A. Koya, with Naa Vitalis Yelyang as the Vice Chairperson and Issabaque. T. Angme as the Secretary.