CONFLICTS, DRAWBACK TO DEVELOPMENT (FRONT PAGE)

Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Axim
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta-Mills, has condemned the recent conflicts in some parts of the country and said it is a complete setback for growth and development.
He said instead of channeling the countries recourses towards productive ventures, “We are rather engaging in conflicts that are of no positive consequence whatsoever. That is certainly a drawback to our forward match towards progress.”
There have been recent clashes in the country which claimed six lives in Bawku and four others at Agbogboloshie as well as destruction of properties worth millions of Ghana Cedis.
The president said in a speech read on his behalf at this year’s Kundum Festival of chiefs and people Axim Traditional Area in the Nzeman East Municipal Assembly of the Western Region.
He said such conflict would not facilitate the development as expected since time and money were pushed to the resolutions and relief to the victims while development was retired.
“I must, however, hasten to add that the chiefs and people and people of Axim deserve commendation for peace and tranquility that has prevailed in the area all these years,” he said.
He said it was about time that Ghanaians went back to the communal spirit that had gone down considerably and was having negative effect on the country’s development.
The President urged the people to use the periods of celebration in reviving the communal spirit, foster unity and initiate self-help projects that would enhance the growth of their localities.
He said the Western Region had over the years experienced problems of poor road network and the Nzema areas was no exception.
Prof. Mills therefore urged districts assemblies to take the initial steps to ensure some form of work on the roads in order not to curtail the moment of goods and services while the central government initiate move to put the roads back in shape.
The President said the clarion call on the country today and indeed beyond was education, advancement, modernity, environmental protection, and the elimination of poverty, diseases and improvement in social infrastructure.
“Indeed these are the very ideals that the government is committed to and therefore it behooves all citizens, young and old, male and female, weather we are in the formal or informal sectors to contribute towards the attainment of these objectives,” he said.
He called for unity and brotherliness to ensure the country’s continues development.
For his part the Omanhene of Lower Axim Traditional Area, Awulae Atibrukusu III urged the president to absorb the community based Girls Secondary School in the area to boost enrolment of girls.
He also called for the protection of the interest of the fishermen in the area cognizance of the fact that oil had been discovered in the region.
Awulae Atibrukusu said there was a sod cutting ceremony for the construction of Landing Beach for the fishermen by the previous administration but the proposed construction did not take place.
There were solidarity messages from the various companies operating in the areas as well as the German’s ambassador to Ghana.