People of Kpone smoke peace pipe

Kpone, Aug. 22, GNA - A renowned diplomat, Mr K.B Asante, has asked Ghanaians to stop the "primitive way of vengeance" where people intentionally get others arrested on non-official working days so that they could not be granted bail.

He cited for instance Fridays and holidays when people got their offenders arrested, and described this practice as a "prostitution of the legal process."

Speaking at a reconciliation durbar of the Chiefs and people of the Kpone Traditional Area in the Tema Municipality at the weekend, Mr Asante said democracy was not only supposed to be on paper, but should be practised as well.

He reiterated that the Ga Dangme area was lagging behind in development and called on the people to educate themselves and make sure they did not rely on people, especially foreigners, to come and develop their area for them.

Mr Asante, who is also the President of the Ga Dangme Council, commended the Chiefs and people of Kpone for bold initiatives they had taken to reconcile, and advised them to be united and avoid tendencies that would trigger divisiveness in the area.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr David Annang, said it was necessary for people to channel their resources, time and energies into developing their communities, than to spend them on disputes. Development thrived only in peaceful environments, he noted and hoped the people would maintain the peace.

The Paramount Chief of Kpone, Nii Tetteh Otu II, said after so many years of chieftaincy litigations, it had been realised that the cases, most of which were being settled in court, became complicated with the death of the petitioners.

Nii Otu expressed the hope that the people would forget the past, and unite to move the development of the area forward.

The chief announced that some needy youth had been supported in their secondary and tertiary education, and added that very soon an Education Fund would be set up to support more needy children. Plans are also underway for the construction of a Senior Secondary School, he said and commended organisations, which were contributing to the area's education and health programmes.

The paramount chief reminded the people that the sustainability of the goodwill from such organisations would depend on the community's ability to maintain the peace, keep the environment clean, and also respect laid down procedures.