Northerners should embrace peace and harmony-NGO

Wa, May 20, GNA -The Northern Youth, Peace and Development, a non-governmental organisation, has advised northern Ghanaians to turn away from conflicts and create a peaceful environment to attract investment and development.

According to the organisation, successive governments had spent huge resources on peace keeping operations in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions, especially in Dabgon and Mamprusi areas which could had been utilised to enhance livelihoods of the people.

At a news conference in Wa , Mr. Prince Hardi Adams, Executive Director, reminded the people that the vulnerable would continued to languish in poverty if the numerous chieftaincy, ethnic and political conflicts were sustained.

He called on the people to see the conflicts in the north as a worry and called on northern politicians and their political parties to cease instigating the youth into conflicts.

"The youth must be bold and tell them that they needed to access quality education, affordable basic medical services and potable water as well as free from exploitation and hunger", Mr. Adams said.

He said many lives and properties had been destroyed in conflicts and as a result northern youth were struggling to survive in the southern sector of the country doing menial jobs.

"The worse of it all, children of school going age are denied their universal rights to quality basic education and illiterate rate is still high in the communities", he explained.

Mr. Adams said there was erosion of laid down societal, religious and traditional norms and virtues such as the fear of God, honesty, respect for the elderly, truthfulness, sense of responsibility and humanity as well as modesty and love for one another among the youth.

"Our values have changed from love for one another to hatred for one another, hypocrisy and greed, evil intentions towards each other, lies and unjustifiable vilifications because the people had sold themselves and their dignity to greedy politicians".

Mr. Adams called on people of the northern regions to unite ad regain its lost glory of a once fortified and great empire.

"We as a people must see ourselves as but one family with common ancestry founded by one great ancestor and therefore forge ahead in unity and re-dedication our actions to improve the socio-economic conditions for ourselves", he said.

He said: 93The dialogue on the resolution of northern disputes must be refocused to take into consideration the risk confronting the north with respect to empowering women, redirecting vulnerability and highlighting the critical social dimensions of conflicts and the impact they have on creating better lives for all."