Govt spent 1.7 billion on Wuaku Commission

Minister for Information and Presidential Affairs, Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, said the government spent 1.7 billion cedis on the Wuaku Commission's investigations into the circumstances that led to the fighting between the Andani Gates and the Abudu Gates of Dagbon State in March this year.

He said, "War is very expensive and destructive, which must be avoided at all cost as the amount spent on demobilization, rehabilitation and reconstruction could have been used for improvement of existing infrastructure as well as initiate new developmental projects for the benefit of the people."

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey stated at the launching of the National Campaign for Sustained Peace and introduction of audio video clip on the campaign to the media in Accra.

The Campaign aimed to create awareness and sensitise the public about the destructive nature of war and conflict and the value of peace for social economic development of a nation. He expressed concern about the pocket of conflicts in the country and caution that "peace is priceless and must not be taken for granted."

The Information Minister noted that ethnic conflicts, chieftaincy and land disputes remain significant problems, adding that this year saw a disturbing increase in the number of conflicts leading to several outbreaks of violence across the country.

"The disturbances should serve as a sober reminder that much remains to be done to find a lasting solution to the conflict."

Minority Leader, Mr. Alban S. K. Bagbin, said the tragedy of Africa is that after rising up in unison against colonialism, we now turn guns on ourselves, instead of fighting the next stage of the liberation struggle against poverty, hunger and disease.

He said: "our enemies are not another ethnic group or clan, religious group or political party, the foes are ignorance, disease and depravity, which must be the targets of the second liberation war in Africa."

He said the relative peace the nation is enjoying within a sub-region torn apart by strife did not come on a silver platter. It took many years of sustained efforts by the political, traditional and religious leaders to foster unity among the various ethnic groups, religious persuasion and political ideologies.

Bagbin said the Peki-Tsito conflict, the Konkomba-Nanumba war, and the recent Yendi carnage and a few others have jolted nation into waking up to the realization that the country could travel the road to Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia and Somalia.

The Minority Leader caution all to be forever state alert as such disturbances could become the launching pad dissatisfied people to ignite a bonfire, which will end up consuming all.

He pledged the Minority's commitment in supporting the campaign for peace, stressing that "we must all join hands to help maintain and consolidate the current peace and eliminate the pockets of potentially explosive conflicts around us."

He said, "as politicians we are committed to the development agenda and have pledged to initiate and support prudent policies and equitable actions towards the eradication of poverty, ignorance and disease.

Other speakers include, the Reverend Ekow Woode, General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal Council and the Ameer of the Ahamadis, Maulvi Wahab Adam who, on behalf the Forum of Religious Bodies pledged their total support for the campaign.