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The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has underscored the need for Ghanaians to use dialogue in the wake of differences and misunderstanding among themselves towards ending all forms of conflicts in the society.
“As a people, whenever there is conflict among us, it is important for us not to resort to the use of arms and other offensive weapons as they rather diffuse the tension which make amicable resolution very difficult” he stressed.
He said “as a matter of fact, the use of arms and other offensive weapons by feuding parties cannot resolve the conflict and that dialogue among the parties is the surest way towards ending the conflict to ensure peace co-existence”.
Mr Nkrumah, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Ofoase Ayirebi Constituency, was speaking during the celebration of the maiden International Women’s Day of Peace and Disarmament in Akim Ofoase in the Eastern Region.
The event which was organised by the Eastern Regional Secretariat of the National Peace Council in collaboration with the Akyemansa District Assembly, was on the theme “Achieving gender inclusivity in peacebuilding; the role of women”.
The event was graced by dignitaries such as Chief Superintendent of Police Marian Serwaa Adu-Osei, Kawhu Nkwatia Division of the Ghana Police Service, Joyce Afriyie Agyapong, District Director of the Ghana Education Service and District Chief Executive for the area, Paul Asamoah, among others.
Mr Nkrumah noted that although security agencies were always deployed to areas of conflict to restore calm and maintain law and order, it would only take dialogue among the disputing parties to put an end to the conflict.
He noted that per a national security document, chieftaincy disputes, land related issues and political party differences were the causes of conflict in the country, saying “ there is the need for us to deal with these issues so as to reduce conflict in the country.
“If there is no peace, no one can freely move out from their houses to go to the farm, school or workplaces and engage in any social and economic activity,” he said, adding “ sadly, women and children were the most affected in times of conflict due to their vulnerability”.
He cautioned persons who fuel conflict to desist from such act since its rippling effect will affect everybody, noting “ if there is no peace in a particular community or in the country, it will be virtually impossible for development to thrive”.
While commending the organisers for the event and the choice of the district, Mr Nkrumah urged the participants to propagate what they had learnt to promote what they had been exposed to promote peace in their respective areas and the nation as a whole.
The Chairman of the Eastern Regional Peace Council, Dr Mark Owusu-Boadu, in an address, said the current increase in violence against women had been a threat to the peace and security in the country.
He stressed that the sophisticated nature of crime currently required a well-equipped security service with the capacity to act faster than the perpetrators, adding “inadequate equipment, perceived policisation of the security services, poor community engagement, among others were impediments to crime fight”.
He noted that women had a fundamental role in the peace-building process to achieve lasting peace and stable development as the nation prepared for the 2024 elections and indicated further that women’s active and adequate participation obviously became an undeniable condition.
