Minister advises Nimoro, Fielmuo communities to seek peace

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, has urged the people of Nimoro and Fielmuo communities in the Sissala West District, to seek peace at all times and co-exist peacefully.

He said the protracted land dispute between the two communities was a disturbing one that has the potential to endanger peace and the development process of the district.

Alhaji Suleman raised the concern during a courtesy call on him at his office by Kuoro Barcheh Nlowie Baninye the second, Acting President of the Buwa Traditional Council, to express his people’s gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for the numerous development projects in the area.

He urged stakeholders, especially the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, which has been handling the case, to speed up the process and find amicable settlement, to sustain the peace in the area.

The Regional Minister urged people in the region to learn to use dialogue to settle all disputes, be they land, chieftaincy or otherwise, to help enhance development.

Talking about the deplorable nature of roads, Alhaji Sulemana said government would maintain roads in the region, and gave the assurance that the Buwa Traditional Area would not be left out.

He said he was also sure that once government was going to build a Community Senior High School at Zini, there was the possibility that its Health Centre would be upgraded to a polyclinic, and water provided to improve quality healthcare services.

Kuoro Baninye said, the chiefs and other opinion leaders had encouraged the youth not to resort to violence with the Fielmuo people, but to cherish mediation as one of the best options.

“We know the only way to bring peace to Ghana is through dialogue and mediation, but not through violence,” he said, and called on others who have similar disputed land cases to emulate the Buwa Traditional Council.

Kuoro Baninye, who is also the Niator Kuoro, recalled that in April this year, the Fielmuo people compelled a Mediation Committee appointed by the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs to sit on the case, to adjourned sitting indefinitely.

He urged the Fielmuo people to return to the mediation table to help resolve the case amicably.

On governance, Kuoro Baninye appealed to government to always give the electorate the mandate to be part of the governance system.

He said the electorate would always appreciate the leadership of government, when they found themselves actively involved in the governance system, and thus contributing their quota to national development.

Kuoro Baninye expressed concern about the abuse of the environment in the Sissala West District, and said the felling of trees for charcoal production and the perennial bush burning, posed a threat to the environment, and a challenge to the livelihoods of the people in district.

Kuoro Baninye called for the implementation of pragmatic measures to stop the menace, saying that if those activities continued, they would in the future widen the poverty gap of the people.