The Konkomba Youth Association (KOYA) has initiated a body to consolidate peace among the chiefs and people of the Northern region.
According to the youth, they “have observed that the main cause of disturbances in the area is chieftaincy and land issues, so we thought it wise to form a council to end the clashes and maintain peace to facilitate development”.
This was made known to the Ghana News Agency by the immediate past president of KOYA, Alhaji Emmanuel Benson, at an annual Easter homecoming meeting aimed at reforming the 36-year-old association.
The meeting was also conveyed to chart a new path to ensure peace and unity in the traditional area.
The durbar brought together members of the ethnic group to take stock of the group’s activities during the previous year and trade ideas on how to initiate development projects to reduce poverty and illiteracy in the area.
The occasion was used to elect and induct a seven-member new executive team to man the affairs of the association.
Alhaji Benson said as part of the process of establishing the council, a day’s capacity building seminar was facilitated by some chiefs of Dagbon and elders from other ethnic groups.
The Regent of Saboba, John Mateer Bowan, also appealed to the people to protect the fragile peace in the area and unite to facilitate development.
He said it was natural for people to have divergent views but stressed that did not call for fight or hatred.
Former Regional Minister Moses Mabengba added that the association had worked tirelessly to orient the Konkombas to appreciate the importance of embracing formal education, social change and abolishing obsolete cultural practices.
“Before, education was the preserve of few male children but now we can boost of an appreciable number of women who are in various fields of endeavour, including nursing, teaching and banking all due to the efforts of KOYA,” he stated.