Agbogbloshie Clashes: The Journalist or the Politician

John N. Taden, author

It is indeed a sad and unfortunate incident of violence that took place at the Agbogbolshie Market on Tuesday, 25th August, resulting in the loss of lives.

Some of us as Northerners are ashamed of ourselves not only because of the people who were involved, but also that it involved Northerners, fighting in the capital city of a nation that has regularly been adjudged by some organisations as the most peaceful in Africa. I sincerely join hands with all who have been so much concerned about this to unconditionally condemn this shameful incident. The culprits should be tracked down and made to face the full rigours of the law.

Whilst this act must be condemned unconditionally, we in all, including politicians, journalists and the general public must watch our words and the comments we make about it. The state of peace in the northern regions and especially among northern ethnic groups is very fragile and could be destabilized by any loose comment or report about it. To me, there are many examples all over the world for us to see and learn our lessons from.

Ever since that violent clash took place at the Agbogbloshie Market on Tuesday, a lot has already taken place, which could escalate the violence and some other unexpected violence somewhere. Those things could have extended the violence to other places in the Northern Region. I am not trying to say that northern ethnic groups like to fight for their counterparts elsewhere, but we all know the rate and the extent to which a small violence somewhere could escalate to great wars at farther places. If the 1994 Konkomba Nanumba conflict didn't start in a small village in the Bimbilla District, someone could be telling me I am a liar.

If this happens at all; that the violence escalates; I know already who to blame. The media would not be left out of it. And for our politicians, the least said about them, the better.

First of all, which two groups of interest clashed on that day? Just look at the following headlines:

 Konkombas And Dagombas Clash Again: (Peacefmonline.com), Tuesday, 25 August 2009 19:41

 Update: Kokomba & Dagomba Clash: (Peacefmonline.com), Wednesday, 26 August 2009 15:00

 Two dead in Abudus vrs Andanis clash in Accra: (myjoyonline.com), Last Updated: Tuesday, 25 August 2009, 18:40 GMT

 Minority Leader fingers 7 for investigation in Konkomba clash: (myjoyonline.com), Last Updated: Thursday, 27 August 2009, 16:10 GMT

 Kokomba clashes: Interior Minister dismisses minority leader's allegations: (myjoyonline.com), Last Updated: Thursday, 27 August 2009, 22:16 GMT.

All theses headlines are about the single particular clash at the market. Apart from these headlines, information within some of the stories even alleges clashes between NPP and NDC supporters in the community. As it stands now, the extent to which tension would have been created between Konkombas and Dagombas nationwide by these headlines cannot be fathomed. Peace FM news further claims the Director of Public Affairs at the Police Headquarters, DSP Kwasi Ofori says “it's an ethnic or tribal conflict between two factions”, but the radio station already knows which factions they are. The comments already made by some people on some radio stations are enough for us all to know who is causing tension. When shall we learn our lesson?

I sincerely admire the courage and honesty of the Minority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu when he unequivocally lays bare names of some of the people he claims are the offenders, not even alleging them as suspects, but as the culprits. Should those names happen to be the true culprits after “everything”; the Minority Leader would be a man worth a Nobel Peace Prize. I am not making the least joke about this.

Some of the Minority Leader's comments, however, are a total violation of the principles set for the path to peace for our country and especially the Northern Regions. Quoting him from the news conference, he cunningly and wittingly teases that “… this is the new Ghana under professor John Evans Atta Mills”; after blatantly counting how the government has been indifferent over the issue.

The Minority Leader should know better, how unspoken, political issues have already 'eaten' into and widened the conflicts in the northern regions and how segregations on political party lines have inflamed tensions. He should know better, how some people think victory for their party is victory over their ethnic enemy and a time to pay back violently. He should also know that the declaration of President Atta Mills' victory was not taken in peace by all, such that violence reportedly broke up at certain places in the country, all because some people felt some undue psychological advantage over their opponents and vice versa.

For that matter, this is the time for the Minority Leader who thinks his party had the security of the people at heart to call for collaborated efforts to instil peace and not the time to give some people, that same undue psychological advantage over their opponents, that they are not been pursued for their crimes because President Atta Mills is in power. This is not the time for him to let one faction of the warring factions feel that their enemies will never be brought to book for any crimes they commit against them, because their party is ruling. When shall we learn our lesson? I rest my case.

Credit: John N. Taden
Saboba N/R
(Currently in Wyoming, USA)