Take over Nkonya-Alavanyo lands – Government urged

The Executive Director of the Ghana Institute of Governance and Security, David Agbey, has urged government to take over the disputed Nkonya-Alavanyo land to foster peace.

It will be recalled that renewed violent clashes in the age-old dispute left two people dead with two others sustaining gunshot wounds on Wednesday.

The latest attack, which occurred barely hours after a curfew imposed on the area was reviewed, is believed to have been carried out by some residents of Alavanyo, a rival community in the area. The two towns have been under a dusk-to-dawn curfew over a protracted land dispute spanning almost a century.

Speaking to Class News’ Emefa Apawu, Mr Agbey urged government not to sit aloof but take over the land to shame the two groups.

“The best way to handle some of these things is the fact that what are they fighting over? They are fighting over a land and government needs to be able to wake up to its responsibility and be able to tell the people ‘I’m taking over this land to use it for a bigger commercial activity’ that will be able to benefit its citizens. So, at this point in time, we’ve talked about this matter for so long a time and successive governments up to this millennium and the Alavanyo and Nkonya people are [still] not seeing eye to eye. I think it’s quite unfortunate that they have not been able to settle this matter,” he stated.

“So it is important that government should not play this lackadaisical attitude. Government can take over the land and use it for a commercial activity and shame the people of Alavanyo and Nkonya. Government must say ‘if you cannot stay and live among one another I’m taking over the land for commercial purpose that will benefit the whole country’.”

The security analyst also blamed traditional rulers in Nkonya and Alavanyo for the recurring dispute between the two communities. He urged opinion leaders in the two towns to do more to bring lasting peace to the area.