A 13-member board of the Western Regional Peace Council has been inaugurated to facilitate and develop mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution to ensure sustainable peace in the region.

The Council, drawn from diverse religious, ethnic and other identifiable groups in the region, includes Mr. Collins Amah-Brakoh, Rev. Ernest Kwofi, Bishop Emmanuel Botwey, Rev. Bob Asare, Mr. Elias Yusuf Kofi Gyampson and Alhaji Saeed Hamid Jallo.

The rest are Alhaji Iddrisu Zakaria, Nana Ekua Kodu II, Mrs. Effiba Dadzie, Rev. Anthony Eshun, Mr. Michael Asare-Bediako, Mr. Yaw Owusu Sekyere and Nana Kwesi Agyeman IX. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Takoradi on Friday, Nii Otokunor Sampah, a board member of the National Peace Council, charged them to be proactive to prevent conflicts from degenerating into chaos.

He said the Council has been mandated by the National Peace Council Act, Act 818 of 2011, as an advisory body to mediate in conflicts, which are likely to erupt into violence and intervene after law and order is restored by the Regional Security Council.

It is also mandated to engage in public education and create awareness of conflict indicators within the region and make recommendations to the Regional Coordinating Council and the Regional Security Council on how to improve on the situation.

It is to facilitate the organization of activities that build friendship, promote trust, tolerance, goodwill, and reconciliation between communities. Nii Sampah noted that the region is relatively peaceful; however it is still saddled with numerous chieftaincy and land disputes and, therefore, entreated them not to lose sight of these challenges.

“This region is described as the “paradox of plenty” or “resource curse” because of its abundance of natural resources, which does not commensurate with the level of development, therefore the potential for people to engage in conflicts for the purposes of the distribution and use of these resources is very high”.

“There is, therefore, an arduous task on the Council to work in harmony with all the stakeholders to sustain peace and tranquility in the region.” He entreated the Regional Coordinating Council and other stakeholders to make resources available to them to ensure effective delivery. The board members later swore the Oath of Office and Allegiance.