CONFLICTS RETARD OUR PROGRESS (TUESDAY, MARCH 17)

WE have been compelled to return to the challenges posed by conflicts in northern Ghana because of their potential to derail any agenda by the government to bridge the gap between the south and the north.
There is a correlation between peace and development because experience has shown that development initiatives are stifled in communities involved in conflict. The peace and stability which the country has enjoyed for more than two decades now has rekindled investor confidence in Ghana.
The government will need to make a lot of sacrifices to raise the necessary resources to implement development activities in the north.
But unless the people reject the path of violence, no amount of injection of capital will help to bridge the gap between the north and the south.
It is in this vein that the DAILY GRAPHIC agrees with the statement by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Owen Woyongo, that unnecessary conflicts would greatly hamper the government’s commitment to bridge the developmental gap between the northern part of the country and the south.
Speaking at the first matriculation ceremony for diploma students of the Gbewaa Teacher Training College at Pusiga, he said the objective for the establishment of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority could only be realised “if we stop the unnecessary conflict which tends to retard development in the area”.
The DAILY GRAPHIC has always expressed worry about the refusal of some of our compatriots to say ‘no’ to conflicts and expose those who incite the people to take the law into their own hands.
It is time everybody recognised that the utter disregard for rules and regulations can lead to confusion, violence and loss of lives in society.
When these happen, the government will have to reallocate resources meant for the development of our country to maintain law and order, as well as pay extra money in the form of allowances and ration for security personnel to maintain the peace, as is the case in Bawku presently.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is far from advocating silence on the part of people with grievances. We are convinced that the country’s justice system has clear-cut procedures for addressing the concerns of aggrieved persons.
It is dangerous for any person who is aggrieved to take the law into his or her own hands or adopt self-help to seek justice. Our society has been faced with serious challenges in recent times, particularly in the wake of the global credit crunch.
We will continue to trail behind our brothers and sisters in the developed countries if we compel our government to channel scarce resources into conflict resolution initiatives such as the rebuilding of communities vandalised during communal violence.
Resources are scarce today and investors are looking for peace havens to invest. Luckily, Ghanaians have demonstrated to the whole world that in spite of the difficulties, we are determined to promote the ideals of democratic governance that encourage individual liberties.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on all well-meaning Ghanaians to reject those who want to perpetuate conflict in our communities so that the enabling environment will be created for the people to harness the country’s resources for their well-being.