Standing by helplessly as we watch our world devour itself in orgies of greed, hatred, abuse of power and violence is more than many of us can beat. On all continents war torn communities and witnesses from afar fell called to respond to the conflicts plaguing our current era. We in Ghana are having our fair share of a so-called international conflict cake”. Police stations are vandalized here and there, violent demonstrations in schools leading to the destruction of property, chieftaincy disputes, political wrangling, religious and ethnic conflicts are so rampant that they tend to be accepted as the normal way of doing things. Peace is an important component in the development agenda of every society. No society can progress in an atmosphere of chaos; hence we need to promote peace in our society. Peace is not just the absence of conflict but the absence of the conditions of conflicts. Of late, there have been many reports of conflicts in Ghana especially in the north.
While government and some NGOs are putting in efforts to address the imbalances to restore peace in those areas, another report of a shooting incident suddenly erupted last Saturday in Buipe in the Central Gonja District of the Northern Region, following the enskinment of a chief. One person has been reported dead in that process and others injured.
People who are involved in the conflicts have a history of living together, share a common language, religion and culture. They all live together. Everyone has a dignity and deserves respect. In a situation where one is denied this dignity and respect, there arises conflict. Everyone’s dignity should be respected no matter his or her race, place of origin, political opinion, colour religious creed or gender.
Respect is key a positive climate for effect development in a society. When respect is not present in a relationship between brother and sister, brother and brother, rich and poor, weak and strong, conflict is likely. When conflict occurs, development is impeded.
The three regions in the north are the poorest and least developed in Ghana; also conflicts aggravate the situation there. It is indeed sad that more than half of the protracted and brutal conflicts in Ghana are in the north. These conflicts have disfigured the region and Ghana as a whole, and threatening to drive away foreign partners and investors. It is about time those in the Northern Sector realised the high cost of persistent conflicts.
These have resulted in years of scorned development, enormous loss of life and property, displacement of people and unnecessary sufferings. It is also time we managed and resolved situations and conflicts but most importantly, prevented new ones from breaking out. It is indeed time to pursue a peace agenda. Let us not forget about the wars in neighbouring countries which have led to the loss of millions of lives and property.
We need to work together to pacify our society as no one would invest in a bad neighbourhood. It is also expedient for policy makers and those who control the state machinery to ensure that the national cake is distributed evenly and to all parts of the country to avoid disillusionment in any section of the society. A merit is a key to true peace. Merit should be considered as the only recipe for the award of contracts, recruitment, employment, enskinment and enstoolment of chiefs. This is the only way to stimulate hard work and high productivity and true national cohesion and sustainable peace. Let’s be mindful of a saying by Pope John Paul II that the best way to promote peace is to practice justice.
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