Northern Region needs peace to develop - MP

Accra, Feb 08, GNA - A member of parliament on Wednesday appealed to the people of the Northern Region to avoid unnecessary violence and conflicts and forge ahead in unity for the development of the area. Mrs Doris Asibi Seidu, NPP-Chereponi, made this appeal in a statement on the recent communal violence in the Bimbilla Traditional Area.

She also appealed to the Nanumbas and Dagombas to hasten their efforts to achieve a lasting peace and reconciliation for the betterment of the young generations whose lives are being wasted. "It is indeed very worrying and sad to see a poverty-endemic area like Bimbilla engulfed in uncontrollable violence leading to the destruction of properties and lives."

Mrs Seidu said this could be avoided if the people had respected and understood their customs and traditions.

She said in such a violent situation, children and women suffer leading to the disintegration of families.

"As a daughter of the region, I feel ashamed and embarrassed to hear my own people fighting among themselves instead of using their God given talent, ingenuity and strength to develop the vast land and very beautiful tourist attraction sites which we have."

Mrs Seidu noted that one way of curtailing communal violence in the north is the appointment of an independent, impartial and neutral committee made up of eminent, mature and respected persons whose political affiliations may not be obvious or prominent.

"They can probe into problems confronting the institution of chieftaincy in the area which is one veritable source of conflict." She said an alternative mechanism could be fashioned out and put in place to ensure lasting solutions to the problems affecting the people of the north.

"The people in the area must also accept and agree to respect and tolerate one another's views, cultures, traditions, mannerism and idiosyncrasies and forge ahead in peaceful coexistence." Mrs Seidu appealed to all political parties especially the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to put their ambitions aside and come together to form one high profile group and lend a helping hand to complement the effort of government in the search for a lasting solution to these seemingly intractable problems which is just a family matter.

"If the factions see the sincerity and honesty in such a collective effort they shall surely be disarmed and those stoking the embers shall be thus be rendered disabled."

She commended the government and the security agencies for the efforts so far in calming the situation in the area, adding that it is important for the authorities to always act proactively to nib potential conflict in the bud.