People of Nkonya and Alavanyo urged to seek peace
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG), Rt Rev. Francis Amenu, has appealed to the citizens of Nkonya and Alavanyo in the Volta Region to call a truce in their protracted land dispute and reconcile in order to bring about stability and peaceful co-existence.
“Enough of the tension, sporadic attacks and animosity because nobody will like to live, work or invest in an environment characterised by fear, panic and curfew. The time is ripe for you to seek faith in the Lord, using this opportunity as a pivot to engender peace and reconciliation,” he said.
Rt Rev. Amenu, who is also the Chairman of the Volta Region Peace Council, was addressing a grand durbar to climax activities marking the centenary celebration of the Nkonya Asakyiri Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the Biakoye District.
He observed that the theme for the celebration, “Reconciliation, Love and Unity for God’s Work,” was a divine call to Christians, traditional authorities, opinion leaders, the youth and the entire citizenry of the two communities to smoke the peace pipe.
“Use your influence as leaders and take a giant and bold step forward and chart a new path that could promote sustainable peace, stability and growth,” he said. He added that when this was done, “infrastructural developments that have eluded the communities for sometime now would be regenerated”.
Rt Rev. Amenu urged Christians in the two communities to work hard and ensure that peace reigned and prevailed in the area, adding that, “Peace for Nkonya and Alavanyo is Peace for Ghana”.
The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Francis Ganayaglo, disclosed that the government had set out to rehabilitate roads in the Nkonya and Alavanyo communities. He said the road rehabilitation works would stretch from Gbi Wegbe through Nkonya to Alavanyo. He expressed the hope that when work was completed, it would enhance free movement of goods and services in the area.
He said government would complete ongoing infrastructural projects in senior high and technical schools in Okadjakrom, Tapa and Nkonya.
The Chief of Nkonya Asakyiri, Nana Nkansah II, expressed his gratitude to the EPCG for its efforts aimed at promoting peace in the area.
Nkonya and Alavanyo, two neighbouring communities that share common ancestry, including inter-marriages, have for more than 80 years now been entangled in a land dispute.
The National House of Chiefs, National Peace Council, religious organisations and relevant state agencies have instituted several interventions aimed at settling the differences but these have not achieved the desired result yet.