Gonjas, Kokonmbas & Nanumbas hail reconciliation law

The Gonjas, Kokonmbas and the Nanumbas in the East Gonja District have hailed the National Reconciliation Law describing it as an opportunity for them to reconcile with one another.

The three ethnic groups have been living in fear of one another following the Kokonkomba-Nanumba ethnic conflict in 1993 and 1994, which spilled over to Salaga and its surrounding areas.

Mr Abu-bakr Saddique Boniface, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and an Independent Member of Parliament for Salaga said in Accra after interacting with his constituent that the people saw the law as unique since it would enable them to air their grievances for redress.

According to Mr Boniface, the people said they were willing to appear before the yet to be formed National Reconciliation Commission to state human rights abuses they suffered.

During the conflict many people died and property including livestock, houses and farms were destroyed and those hurt have been nursing grudges against the perpetrators.

He said the people expressed their satisfaction with the fact that the Commission would encourage people to come out and confess and ask for forgiveness and for those wronged to be compensated in a way by the state.

Mr Boniface said it was necessary for those who have some reservations about the law to understand that the legislation could not receive a hundred per cent support but that it should also be understood that the logistics involved in the work of the Commission was colossal.

"It is, therefore, necessary that the cut off time frame should be limited and those, who also felt wronged in the constitutional regimes could use the "window" the reconciliation law made room for to seek redress."

Mr Boniface said it would be imperative for the members of the Commission to have the decency and the courtesy to entertain those aggrieved ones who would come through the "window". The Deputy Minister appealed to all to come to terms with the position of Parliament on the reconciliation law.

Mr Alhassan Yahaya, a spokesman of the Minister's campaign team, commended the government for the ongoing rehabilitation work on the roads in the Salaga Township.

He said it takes more than five hours to travel from Mankago to Tamale, a distance of 154 kilometres instead of two hours adding that the area produces large quantities of yams and livestock.

Mr Yahaya said "the two senior secondary schools in the area are under resourced, the district police station is in a rented premises and the last time the area saw a tarred road was about 30 years ago".