Ho-Ghana, Nov. 25, GNA – Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister for National Security has stressed the need for citizens to do more to consolidate peace, security, and national cohesion for inclusive development.
He said consolidating the peace and security of the country was achievable, if the citizens put their shoulders to the wheel to eliminate political intolerance, impunity, tribal prejudices as well as building strong institutions that would earn the trust of the citizenry.
The Minister said advancing peace and safety in Ghana was a collective responsibility and that it was important as a people to recommit to dialogue and consensus building in addressing grievances because it was the surest way of uniting the people for development.
Mr Kan Dapaah said this in an address read for him by Major General Dr. Emmanuel Kotia, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Boundary Commission in Ho at the opening of a two-day conference to discuss the report generated from the National Peace Council’s last year dialogue exercise held in Volta and Oti Regions.
The Council, in 2021 embarked upon series of dialogues in the Volta and Oti Regions to discuss claims of discrimination against people in the two regions and to promote national cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
The exercise was held in 18 communities and documented the origin, nature and most noticeable or important things that informed the claim of discrimination and its implications for national unity.
“The need for peace in Ghana is important at the present time, when, the country is facing economic crisis, issues of youth agitations over limited opportunities, violent extremism and the threat of terrorism in West Africa and Sahel appear worrisome to Ghana, among others.”
The National Security Minister appealed to traditional authorities, the clergy, politicians, businesspeople, and women to actively involved in the peacebuilding process as the country could consolidate its economic gains only in an environment of peace.
He said in the spirit of promoting the peace and security of the country that the National Security supported the national peace council to conduct the dialogues to gather as much information as possible, from the perspective of the people.
This information, he said, was necessary to inform the government to take the necessary steps to foster greater tolerance among the people and improve peaceful coexistence for faster national peace and development.
Torgbui Nyaho Tamakloe VI, Paramount Chief of Anyako Traditional Area who deputised for Torgbui Sri III, Awoamefia for Anlo State, called for an end to the economic deprivation of the region.
“We ask for fair treatment of our people, fair distribution of the economic wealth of the country, fairness in the dignity of our people,” he said.
