By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has raised concerns over the numerous Chieftaincy and land disputes that have plagued the country.
According to him, chieftaincy and land disputes around the country tend to be breeding grounds for internal tensions and destabilisation.
Delivering the 2024 edition of the State of the Nation’s Address (SONA), on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, he said, “I must add that it is a matter of great concern that we continue to have so many chieftaincy and land disputes around the country, which tend to be breeding grounds for internal tensions and destabilisation.”
“Mr Speaker, I must make special mention of the troubles in Bawku. The tragedy is not only that a thriving and dynamic town is being reduced to a wasteland of destruction and distrust; we are spending money and energy that would have been better spent on development needs of Bawku, providing security to keep brothers and sisters from killing each other.
Why this should concern all of us and not just the people of Bawku is that, in its current state, Bawku is an alluring magnet to mischief makers and extremists operating a few kilometres across from the border.
In the bid to find a lasting solution to the conflict, Government has, in the past year, undertaken a number of measures, including the establishment of a special Bawku Taskforce, and the intensification of engagements with the factions for the resolution of the chieftaincy dispute.
On the recommendation of the Upper East Regional and National Security Councils, four (4) radio stations, that have been broadcasting incendiary language and propagating hate speech, have been shut down by the National Communications Authority.”
He again revealed that the Chief Justice has also recently established specialised Courts in Accra and Kumasi to deal expeditiously with criminal matters emanating from the Bawku conflict.
According to the President, his government is determined to do all it can to ensure there is security in every inch of the territory of our country, adding that it is very much up to the citizens to help create the needed atmosphere.
“I am, thus, appealing to all citizens to take the See Something, Say Something campaign of the Ministry of National Security very seriously.
There is, indeed, Mr Speaker, a state of palpable anxiety and tension in every corner of West Africa, raising the spectre of regional instability, which we thought had been banished.
Unconstitutional changes in Government in parts of Africa, especially in West Africa, through a series of coup d’états and military interventions in governance testify to an unfortunate democratic regression in the Region.
It is in the interest of democratic growth that this development is reversed as soon as possible, and we, in Ghana, continue to give maximum support to ECOWAS, the regional body of West Africa, and the African Union, Africa’s continental organisation, in their efforts to restore democratic institutions in the affected nations.
We must help stem the tide of this unwelcome evolution, and help entrench democracy in West Africa. We believe also that a reform of the global governance architecture, such as the Security Council of the United Nations, to make it more representative and accountable, will help strengthen global peace and stability, and, thereby, help consolidate democratic rule in the world,” portions of his address read.
