Dagbon Conflict Costs ?6Bn

Government had by the end of October spent more than six billion cedis on the Dagbon crisis which erupted in March this year. The cost is just the tip of the iceberg, because there are many other expenses which cannot be quantified.

Mr. E.A. Debrah, acting Northern Regional Minister announced these when he took his turn at the weekly ‘Meet-The-Press’ series in Accra yesterday.

He mentioned some of the areas where expenses were made as the movement of parliamentary delegations, traditional rulers’ visit to the region, part of the Wuako Commission’s expenses, movements of witnesses from the Northern Region to Sunyani and their boarding and lodging. The Minister noted that “conflicts have never helped Ghana and indeed, they have never helped any country or community. They rather woefully dissipate the resources of the country”.

He, therefore, blamed some people from the Northern Region who are residing in Accra and who are holding regular press conferences to fuel the flames of the conflict in the region.

He observed that the over ?6 billion could have been used to finance some profitable ventures in the region or any part of the country.

The Regional Minister noted that the greatest challenge to the development efforts in the region is instability and insecurity caused by the many conflicts in the region.

These conflicts, he observed which on many occasions “turn violent, arise out of chieftaincy, religious, ethnic and land issues and often result in loss of life and property and insecurity, leading to the curtailment of economic activity”.

He said social incohesion that affects economic development, internal displacement of people and scares and drives away investors, drains the regional and national resources.

Replying to a question as to what he has personally been doing to bring peace to the conflict area, the Regional Minister said he has been touring the Dagbon Traditional Area and has been holding durbars with the chiefs and people of the area and been stressing the importance of peace and unity to them.

He said he has also been holding discussions with some youth organisations and opinion leaders on the way forward in solving the crisis.

Hon. Debrah hinted that the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) has recently acquired air space on Radio Savana to constantly send peace messages to the public through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) and other peace-loving organisations. He expressed the hope that peace would definitely return to the area in the not-too-distant future.

Hon. Debrah, therefore, made a passionate appeal to all Ghanaians, especially northerners to get rid of conflicts, not only in the Northern Region, but also throughout the country.