Accra, May, 10, GNA - Mr. Boniface Abubakar Saddique, former Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing has observed that ineffectiveness of the Ghana Judicial Service at the grassroot level has led to the increased conflicts in the North.

He said the service had a very important role to play in the solution of conflicts in order to arrest the under-development of the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.

Mr. Saddique made the observation at a community forum, organised by Future Leaders Organisation, a non-governmental organisation in Accra at the weekend, on the theme: "Political tolerance, the role of the youth." He said positive neutrality on the path of the judiciary was very important to promote a congenial atmosphere for political and socio-economic development to thrive.

He identified land religion, chieftaincy, and ethnicity issues as major causes of conflicts especially among the youth in Ghana, which he said were induced by illiteracy and poverty. Mr. Saddique said in places where conflicts usually occur, development was drastically affected since individuals or organisations fear to invest in such places because they think their efforts might be in vain. He noted that when conflicts are rampant in a particular community, hatred becomes the order of the day and people tend to migrate to places where peace prevails.

The former minister said although conflicts would never end in our part of the world, it could however be controlled. "For peace to prevail in every community, constant interaction and communication with community leaders and individuals must be encouraged," he suggested. Mr. Saddique said the youth are the country's future and most valuable asset and as such they must be given the needed training to build them up. He said jobs must be created for them to keep them occupied at all times. He expressed the need for the security agencies to be strengthened in all parts of the country to ensure that peace prevails at all times to ensure the massive development of the North. 10 May 10