Peace for some time has eluded the people of Saboba and Chereponi and their environs in the Northern Region and North East Region respectively since 1st January, 2019. This has been replaced with suspicion and grief sparking speculations airborned across these areas.
What started as a misunderstanding between some people in a particular community degenerated into a full blown conflict roping in people from other areas.
Until this unfortunate development, the Konkombas and Chokosis had lived in peace to the extent that they shared the same district until 2007 when Cherepni was carved out of Saboba.
One thing that is not only disturbing but disgraceful about these skirmishes is the fact that the people in these areas have inter-married and some of them speak each other’s language. Comprehensively, nobody ever envisaged there would be a misunderstanding leading to the two groups standing up against each other on a single moment.
There is an area in Saboba where the Chokosis have settled while conducting their daily activities there for a very long time. In the same vain, Konkombas have lived in Chereponi and also engaged in their business and other activities. Therefore, this conflict, like any other, was needless.
Leaders of both sides have shirked their responsibilities of counsel and allowed the youth to take decisions for them to endorse. That is exactly what I think led to this problem we are grappling with.
The situation of the venerable ones has been the worry of all. Several houses have been torched, food barns and silos burnt, schools infrastructure burnt, women and children displaced, pregnant mothers seriously affected. When will these people be relieved of these problems? It will definitely take a long time to settle. What is the benefit? Where is the trophy?
Has anyone won in the conflict? No. As of now, schools in some of these communities are still closed and will remain closed for a long time. Meanwhile, these innocent school children have the same examination to write as their southern colleagues. It is the dead that has won, grief and suspicion have won.
It is high time we stood against trouble makers in our communities and be bold to report them to appropriate quarters for them to be prosecuted than leading communities to experience colossal damage such as this.
Peace is the surest way to development. Let’s embrace each other and restart our relationship ones again. Let us build up and avoid speculation and suspicion.
By Gideon W. Beso
Saboba.
Source:A1Radioonline.com|Ghana