The Northern Youth, Peace and Development, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has asked people from the northern part of Ghana to stop engaging in conflicts, and create a peaceful environment for development.
The group expressed worry that successive governments had spent huge sums of money on peace keeping in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions, especially in Dabgon and Mamprusi areas, which could had been utilised to enhance the standards of living of the people.
At a news conference in Wa on Tuesday, Mr. Prince Hardi Adams, Executive Director of the NGO, said that the people , especially the vulnerable would continued to languish in poverty if the numerous chieftaincy, ethnic and political conflicts remained unresolved.
He called on politicians from the conflict areas to refrain from encouraging the youth to engage in conflicts and disputes.
Mr Adams said: “The youth need quality education, affordable basic medical services and potable water and should be free from exploitation and hunger.
“The worse of it is that children of school going age are denied universal rights to quality basic education and the illiteracy rate is high in the communities".
Mr Adams called on the people to unite for development adding that “The dialogue on the resolution of northern conflicts and 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”.