The Nkwanta Municipal Director of Education, Mr Jonathan Korsinah, led a peace -walk, organized by the Education Directorate, of a cross-section of teachers and pre-tertiary schools students, the Municipal Chief Executive, Honorable Bright Lenwah, opinion leaders, the media and officers of the Ghana police service on Monday, January 22, 2024, through the principal streets of Nkwanta to reinforce the call for peace in Nkwanta.
The Minister of Interior on November 21, 2023, imposed a curfew on Nkwanta following an inter-ethnic conflict leading to loss of lives and several people injured. As a result, economic activities came to a halt for some days. Even though the curfew is still in force, the movement of goods and services has returned to normal with schools, hitherto closed, reopened for academic work, and offices and shops opened for business.
The Peace Walk is part of the many efforts by stakeholders toward achieving lasting peace in Nkwanta. At the end of the walk, representatives of the students, the municipal director of education and the Municipal Chief Executive gave their respective keynote addresses to the gathering.
The appeal of the pre-tertiary school students to the Oti Regional Security Council and the Nkwanta Municipal Security Council is to disarm the youth and contractors and organize peace dialogue to end the conflict. Secondly, the students want both councils to identify diseased families and victims of the conflicts, their children for treatment from the shock of the conflict and thirdly, provision of security escorts for teachers who commute from Nkwanta Township to neighbouring communities for work.
Mr. Korsinah, in a keynote address, added to the call for peace and stability in Nkwanta and its surrounding communities. “A stable environment is not just a prerequisite for education. It is a fundamental right every student deserves,” the director added. He appealed to parents in the municipality to encourage their children to return to school. Mr. Director also employed all teachers to return to duty with resilience and dedication and to the government to review the curfew time.
The MCE, Hon. Lenwah, expressed his appreciation to all stakeholders working for a lasting peace in the Nkwanta Township. He informed the gathering about the joint meeting with the Regional Security Council at Dumbai. In this regional capital, all the stakeholders of the various ethnic groups involved in the conflicts had agreed to lay down their arms. Hon. Lenwah encouraged all the stakeholders to work hard to implement all the points agreed on at the meeting and continue to engage their subjects and communities toward achieving lasting peace in Nkwanta and the surrounding communities.
The MCE thanked parents for allowing their children to come to school. Schools reopened after the conflict in Nkwanta on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. “There is no need for anybody to be afraid of allowing the ward or the child to come to school”, the MCE assured parents.
Hon. Bright Lenwah promised to work on the petitions received from students of pre-tertiary schools and the Municipal Director of Education. He informed the gathering about a town hall meeting of all the chiefs and other stakeholders to be held for further deliberation on the peace efforts.
story by MIS Team (Daniel M. Ahiatrogah and Emmanuel Sappor)