The Chief and elders of the Kandiga Area Council, the Assembly Members of the entire community have called on the youth of the community and residents of Doba, a sister community to peacefully co-exist with one people with a common destiny.
The two intermarrying communities in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region have both suffered the consequences of a renewed dispute that has resulted in the loss of lives and properties for over a year now.
On behalf of the Traditional Area Council, Naaba Henry Abawine Amenga-Etego II, the Chief of Kandiga at a press conference held at his palace said the traditional authority “has regularly convened meetings with the youth of Kandiga to preach peace and call for calm, emphasizing the adverse effects of the conflict on the two communities, and bearing in mind the cordial relationship that existed between Kandiga and Doba in the past.”
The Chief of Kandiga made this clarion call while condemning a suspected murder of a young man along the Kandiga-Sirigu road on Saturday, 8th May 2021.
The Chairman of the Kandiga Area Council Hon. Mathew Akakuzia who read the statement said the entire community members expressed regret for the “unfortunate incident and wish to condemn in no uncertain terms the act perpetrated by those faceless elements.”
The Traditional Area Council who condemned the barbaric act with no uncertainty said the suspected murder may have been orchestrated by some “faceless and heartless individuals from both Kandiga and Doba who cultivate special interests in the ongoing conflict just to satisfy their parochial agenda by taking advantage of the vulnerable and good people of the two feuding communities”.
“At this material moment, it is prudent to make references to one of several incidents late last year where three natives of Doba were seen in Kandiga during the height of the conflict under very strange circumstances but were not attacked or harmed. Instead, they were duly handed over to the Chief and his elders, who, together with the Assembly Members and Opinion Leaders of Kandiga, in turn peacefully handed over the three individuals to the Security Services and the Regional Peace Council for due process to take its course. Indeed, this was done to demonstrate our thirst for peace and strict intolerance for violence.”
The Traditional Area Council sends a strong caution to individuals who are fueling the conflict to completely desist from such barbaric acts for the sake of peace and development in the affected communities.
The Traditional Area Council declared its unflinching support to assist the security services to investigate all criminal acts in the conflict area, including the recent unfortunate incident.
“We wish to also use this opportunity to thank and commend the Commanding Officer of the 11th Battalion of Infantry and his able men as well as the Regional Police Commander and his Municipal/District Commanders of the troubled areas for their display of professionalism and commitment to the peace efforts. While acknowledging the relentless efforts of the security agencies, we further appeal to them to step up their responsibilities in order to bring an end to the wanton loss of innocent lives and properties.”
The chief, elders, and people of the Kandiga Traditional Area Council commended the efforts of Navro-Pio, Mirigu Naaba, and Sirigu Naaba, the Paramount Chiefs of Navrongo, Mirigu, and Sirigu Traditional Councils respectively for accepting the responsibilities to mediate and resolve the impasse among the two communities and also make further appeals on them not to resign hope but continue to put their heads together and work unceasingly with the Regional and Municipal/District Security Councils to bring back peace to the affected communities.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah
