Konkomba, Bimobas deny preparing for war

Accra, Nov. 30, GNA - The Konkomba and Bimoba ethnic groups in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District have denied claims that they were stock-piling arms in preparation for violent communal clashes.

A joint delegation of chiefs and elders representing the two groups on Friday said there was no truth in the allegation and assured President John Agyekum Kufuor that conflicts between them had now been consigned to history.

Alhaji Abuba Nasinmong, Bunkpurugu Naba and Mambor Yaatun, Kpanlori Lana, led the delegation.

They were at the Castle, Osu, to convey their gratitude to the Government for creating a District for them and to express appreciation for the numerous development projects provided in the area, including the upgrading of the Bunkpurugu Health Centre into a District Hospital, schools and electricity.

They described the recent disturbances in the area as unfortunate and pledged their resolve never to allow a recurrence of such an incident.

"We are one people with a common ancestry," they said in a statement read to President Kufuor.

The delegation appealed to the Government to provide the police in the area with the needed logistics, improve the road network, and upgrade the Bunkpurugu Senior High School into a model one. President Kufuor said recent reports of clashes between the Konkombas and Bimobas were disturbing and counselled the two groups to eschew conflicts and live together in peace. "If we want development, we must live together in peace and harmony. It should not be lost on us that there cannot be development without peace."

He it was therefore time that factionalism leading to violent conflicts became history.

Responding to the delegation's acknowledgment that the area had been given its fair share of development, President Kufuor said this was evidence that the Government had not been discriminating along party lines.

He gave the assurance that the Government would continue to make conscious and determined efforts to give every part of the country its deserved share of development. He said the roads in the Bunkpurugu township would be tarred alongside the improvement of feeder roads.