Paramount Chief of the Talensi traditional area, Tongraan Kugbilsong Nalebegtang has cautioned political parties to avoid a repeat of the nearly fatal clashes that occurred in the constituency during the by-election.
The Talensi constituency came under heavy tension following violent clashes between the ruling National Democratic Congress’s “Azorka Boys” and the opposition New Patriotic Party’s “Bolga Bull Dogs” who were both monitoring a by-election in the area in July 2015.
The clashes reportedly resulted in the injury of some individuals from both sides of the political divide with incidents of sporadic shooting around the NPP constituency office in Tongo.
Tongraan Kugbilsong Nalebegtang gave the caution during a courtesy call on him by the Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur who is on a campaign tour of the upper east region, Friday.
“I appeal to all parties who will like to come to Talensi here that all of them should do their best to operate in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. We do not want to have any kind of rampage here. We want to ensure that all those who come here to campaign, campaign in a peaceful manner. After all, all what we are looking for is the development of the area, so we don’t need to fight among ourselves particularly in Talensi here. We don’t have strangers here. All those who are contesting are our own sons so I will like to appeal to all parties to make sure that we vote as brothers and at the end of the day whoever pleases the hearts of the people will go. And I will like to emphasize this, the last time there was a by-election, so many people who came here from different places and in fact we don’t know them.
The paramount chief intimated that the Talensi area had for decades never witnessed violent clashes until the incident of the by-election saying “I will like to appeal to all of you, make sure that no such groups come here, we know how to vote and we are going to vote effectively and properly in peace.”
The Vice President used the opportunity to appeal to the people of Talensi to vote for Mr. B. T. Baba as MP for the area and John Mahama as President in the 2016 polls to enable the party continue the good works for the country.
By: Adugbire Cletus | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
