Regional News of Tuesday, 3 June 2003

Source: gna

Minister deplores conflicts in the Volta Region

Mr Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister, has called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to organise workshops that would address existing communal and ethnic conflicts in some parts of the Region.

He made the call at the opening of a two-day strategic workshop at the weekend.

The Regional Minister expressed concern about the three main conflict areas in the Region characterised by wanton destruction of property and the loss of human lives.

He named the conflict areas as Peki-Tsito, Alavanyo-Nkonya land boundary dispute and the ethnic conflict of Kitare in the Nkwanta District.

Mr Owusu-Yeboa said the large sums of money being used for local peacekeeping could have been expended on development projects to improve the quality of life of the people.

He commended the organisers of the workshop, the Co-operative League of the United States of America, for helping to create awareness within the communities on their civic responsibilities under the Government's Accountability Improved Trust (GAIT) Project.

Mr Omar Amadu-Dabou, Jasikan District Co-ordinating Director, appealed to the NGOs and civil societies to help the government to identify critical conflict areas and help to manage them.

Mr Martin Akotey, Programme and Workshop Facilitator, called on the people to initiate self-help projects to supplement government's development efforts.