Kwesi Ahwoi presents relief items to displaced persons

The Minister of the Interior, Kwesi Ahwoi has presented some relief items to persons displaced during the recent violent conflicts in the Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo and the East Mamprusi districts, as part of measures to alleviate their plight.

The items, which were presented through the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), included 70 bags of rice, 10 bags of maize, 250 pieces of blankets, 10 bails of used clothing, 20 cartons of mosquito quail and 20 cartons of matches.

The rest were; 70 plastic basins, 700 pieces of cups, 700 pieces of plastic plates and four packets of roofing sheets.

Mr Ahwoi who presented the items to Naa David Kansuuk, Chief of Nakpanduri, said it was a little token to be distributed to the affected victims and noted that it would help those who had their food produce and houses destroyed, to adjust to life.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Alhassan Mohammed, Deputy Interior Minister, James Agalga, the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna and a team from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) were part of the high-powered Government delegation that visited the area.

Mr Ahwoi who had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Nayiri Na Mahami Bohagu Abdulai Sheriga II, entreated the two chiefs to collaborate and ensure that peace returned to the area to enable the ministry to lift the curfew that had been imposed on the people.

Mr Ahwoi said since the curfew was imposed in the conflict spots, there had been calm with no any reported case of death or destruction of property and noted that it was imperative for the chiefs to collaborate with the Ministry of the Interior to find lasting solutions to the protracted conflicts.

He urged the District Security Management Committee (DISEC) to send a fact-finding security situation report to his outfit to consider lifting the curfew.

Alhaji Limuna Northern Regional Minister observed that development activities in the area had come to a halt because of the consistent conflicts, and urged the people to embrace peace to benefit from development projects.

He noted that if the people failed to seek peace but continued o engage in conflicts, development would elude them saying, “We are one people with a common destiny and we should not continue to fight ourselves”.

Naa Kansuuk, expressed regret that the peace process in the area was almost complete when the recent incident occurred adding that Nakpanduri had always defended itself against attackers.

He recalled that in March this year, there was a shooting incident at Kpamale and that the District Chief Executives for the East Mamprusi and Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo were informed about it only for a man to be killed at Bongni near Sakoagu.

He further stated that the recurrent violence in the area was usually between small sub-set of the Konkombas and another sub-set of Bimobas, which appeared as if the entire Bimoba and Konkomba ethnic groups were at war against each other.

Naa Kansuuk appealed to the Interior Minister to lift the curfew in the Nakpanduri town, since it was bringing untold hardships to market women, students, especially those writing the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSSCE), and that due to the warm weather conditions, the curfew could result in CSM outbreak.

Source: GNA