Election 2016: ''We Must Not Allow Our Political Differences To Divide Us As A Krobo People''---Kloma Hengme Urges All Krobos

Kloma Hengme, the Krobo advocacy and Heritage association, has urged all Krobos and Ghanaians at large not to allow our political differences to devide us as a people and make us enemies, but it should rather make us see each other as people who have alternative solutions to the problems that face us as a nation.

According to the association, our numerous political affiliations are only a demonstration that there is beauty in diversity, and we are all patners in development.

The association has also urged all presidential and parliamentary candidates and parties in the Krobo area not to find it difficult to concede or accept defeat__ For good losers are not only peacemakers, but they also command respect.

This was made known at a speech read on behalf of the association by its Director of Operations, Francis Nakotey, over the weekend (Friday) at a Peace Concert organized by the Christian Inter-denominational Musical Alliance (CIDMA) at the Odumase-Krobo lorry station of the Eastern Region.

The main aim of the CIDMA is to unite everyone regardless of one's political affiliations using music and other related arts to promote peace for the impending General Elections on December 7, 2016.

Other stakeholders who also delivered similar peace messages were the Electoral Commission, the Manya-Krobo and Yilo-Krobo Traditional Councils, the Ghana Police Service, and representatives of the various political parties in the Krobo area.

Below is a copy of the full speech by the Kloma Hengme association:

*STAND UP FOR PEACE IN KROBOLAND DURING ELECTION 2016 AND BEYOND*

A Speech Delivered by Kloma Hengme Association
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Clergy, beloved Krobo youth, all protocols observed; it gives us (Kloma Hengme Association) great pleasure to deliver a peace and solidarity speech today at such a very important event. First of all, I would like to take a moment to commend the organizers (the Christian Interdenominational Musical Alliance) for putting together such a mega peace concert providing the youth of Kroboland an opportunity to unite for election 2016 through music, the word of God and other related arts. Indeed, this will go down in the history books of Kloma and we can but only say Ayekooo. May God continue to bless you abundantly for such a wonderful initiative. We are glad to partner you in this regard.

Mr. Chairman, come 7 December 2016, Kroboland will join the rest of Ghana to exercise our democratic rights of electing a President and Parliamentary candidates to steer the affairs of the country and our constituencies respectively for the next four years. Kloma Hengme as the Krobo advocacy and Heritage group though we do not engage in partisan politics, we are observing the political tension and paranoia that is prevailing in Kroboland at the moment. Given the opportunity today, we find it imperative to address the entire Krobo nation so that we don’t jeopardize the relative peace and tranquility we are enjoying at the moment.

Brothers and sisters, this election is not about any individual or political party, but about the welfare of Krobos and Ghanaians in general. Kroboland is one, and for all of us. We cannot afford to have La Cote D’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, etc. in Kroboland and Ghana at large. The leadership of Kloma Hengme urge all Krobos, especially our youth, to think Kroboland first in all our undertakings during this electioneering period and beyond. Our forbearers sacrificed to bring Kroboland this far. It is now our turn. The unity and stability of the land of our birth should be paramount to all of us before, during and after the elections.

We have done it previously, and can, and would do it again. The signs are telling that this beautiful land of ours would not go up in flames during the elections or after. The signs are boldly written on the wall, that our dear land would have a very peaceful, free, fair and democratic election. We therefore owe it ourselves and posterity to safeguard this electoral process to ensure that we don’t witness any violence, conflict or anarchy on our land.

All of us here were born into families and not into political parties, and we must not allow our political differences to divide us as a Krobo nation. Our various political affiliations do not make us enemies, but rather people who have alternative solutions to the problems that face us as a Krobo people. Our numerous political affiliations are only a demonstration that there is beauty in diversity, and we are all partners in development.

On the election day, whether you are a Krobo living here in Kroboland, or elsewhere in Ghana, vote early, Vote once, and walk home peacefully after casting your ballot. Losing Presidential and Parliamentary candidates and parties in Kroboland should not find it difficult to concede or accept defeat. Good losers are peacemakers. Good losers command respect. The Winning Candidates and their followers must also demonstrate a high sense of responsibility, decorum and magnanimity in their celebrations.

We are the children of the Eagle (Manya-Krobo), and on occasions like this, we expect the Krobo to fly high the flag of Kloma beyond the sky. The strength of our Crocodile (Yilo-Krobo), we also expect, will serve as our guiding principle to propel us to defeat our true common enemies which are violence, conflict, anarchy, unemployment, illiteracy, bad roads, negative social tags on the Krobo, disease etc. These are the main issues we must consider as we go to the ballot. Let us make wise choices. Choices that will make Kroboland a better place for all of us and for our future generations. Posterity will not forgive us if we fail to do the right things during the election period. Kloma Hengme believes in these golden generation of Krobo and we must all live up to that expectation.

Let us all stand up for peace in Kroboland. God bless us all and make Kroboland great and strong !!!

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