‘Work towards peace in Bawku’

17-09-09


THE Executive Director of the African Peacebuilding Club, Mr Salam Ramani has appealed to the people of the Bawku municipality to work towards sustaining peace in the area.
“I am appealing to all the people of Bawku, irrespective of their political, tribal and religious background to come together so that we can have lasting peace. Let’s see ourselves as brothers and sisters and work for the common good of the area,” he said in an interview with the Daily Graphic.
He said there was the need for the provision of adequate security in a every part of the municipality to ensure that the people went about their day-to-day activities peacefully.
Mr Ramani commended security personnel dispatched to the area, since without them, the situation would have escalated, adding that there was more to be done in terms of arresting those who ambushed people.
Regular patrols by the military and police, he said, were needed in the villages and ??various leading to the markets and communities.???
He, however, urged the personnel to do their work as professionals and arrest the perpetrators, no matter their political affiliation or tribe.
He said the integration of people in the area was of utmost importance, and that “we can’t have peace and development if we do not talk to our opponents”.
Mr Ramani indicated that the killing of people in Bawku did not speak well of the municipality, and that every single life was precious since it was through unity of purpose they could come together to develop the area.
“The Sunday, September 6, 2009 killing of Rufai Sumani was the latest in the series of attacks on innocent lives which needs to be stopped immediately,” he said.
He urged the Members of Parliament for the area to implement their campaign promises of ensuring lasting peace in area since they have a responsibility to the people.
“The MPs have a responsibility to impress upon the Government to provide logistics for the security agencies in the area. The MPs know the constituencies and have direct contact with some of the constituents who could provide vital information that could bring about peace in the area,” he said.
Mr Ramani lauded the National Peace Council for its timely intervention through the organisation of workshop on the need for the people to embrace peace and stop fighting.
“I hope that they will do well to get other civil society organisations who are into peacebuilding on board,” he said, and indicated that there was the need for sustained peace campaigns that would ensure peace in the area.
He, therefore, stressed the need for chiefs, elders, opinion leaders and religious leaders to take up the responsibility of sensitising the people, especially the youth not to allow themselves to used by persons seeking to destabilise the municipality.
Mr Ramani suggested that such sensitisation programmes be held at least three times a week in churches, schools, mosques, homes and markets, among other places so as to reach out to the majority of the people.
The African Peacebuilding Club, he said, was ever ready to work with any individual, group or organisations that were committed to ensuring total peace in Bawku and its environs.
“We as an NGO would continue to play our part to ensure peace in Bawku. We welcome support from any group in peacebuilding efforts irrespective of the political, ethnic and religious background,” he emphasised.