Conflicts: The Bane Of Development In Northern Ghana

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. Martin Luther King Jnr. Northern Ghana refers to the regions of Ghana which lie in the Savanna Zone or belt of West Africa. It encompasses Northern, Upper West and Upper East Regions. In terms of geographical location, it is bordered to the North by Burkina Faso, to the South by Brong-Ahafo and Northern Volta, to the East is Togo and to the West is Ivory Coast.

Northern Ghana is made up of many ethnic groups and tribes. Some include; Dagombas, Kokombas, Mamprusis, Gonjas, Builsa, Kusasis, Kasenas, Dagaabas, Waales, Sisaales inter alia. It has great history dating to Pre-historic times. According to the oral tradition of the people, some of the tribes migrated from countries such as Nigeria and Burkina Faso to settle in their present homes and places whereas others are indigenous people. Those who migrated from elsewhere for example came with them a kind of Kingship rule or chieftaincy system whereas the original settlers were mostly ruled by the ‘tindaanas’ or landowners. Colonialism also came with it chieftaincy system as a result of indirect rule introduced by the British. Chiefs were imposed on those who didn’t have them. From this, one can say that, the north was made up of acephalous and non-acephalous societies and most of the conflicts that occur there have historical antecedents which have retarded development in the area over years.

The North has been labeled as a conflict zone and its people often seen as violent or war-like. The media must be blamed for this negative reportage about the North. If there is a misunderstanding between two people in a village in the North, it is reported as though the whole of the North is burning. However, if there is a dispute in any part of the South, the name of the place is usually mentioned. Conflicts however do occur in areas such as Gushiegu, Tamale, Yendi and Bawku. Most of these conflicts are often land and chieftaincy related problems which have historical antecedents as said earlier.

I do not want to be specific here since that can defeat the purpose of the article. The crack of the matter is that, in the past some people were made chiefs to rule over areas or lands that didn’t belong to them. The original owners resisted but were restrained by the colonial masters who created such chiefdoms. This generated into disputes between the owners of the land and their rulers who were mostly migrants. This trend continued over the years and families kept on passing down the history to their children. Such children often grow up with revengeful minds against their enemies.

Furthermore, Politicians must also be blamed for the conflicts in the area. Some of them often take advantage of the situation to torment trouble just because of political power. What they must know is that, one does not necessarily need to be a member of parliament or a minister of state in order to bring development to his people. The youth are often used to perpetuate such violence and this I must say is unacceptable and a crime against humanity. Perpetrators often go free because they are affiliated to a particular political party. This culture of impunity must stop and now is the time, “If not now, when and if not us, who?” Franklin Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jnr.

These conflicts have had serious repercussions on development in the area. A lot of resources which could have been used to build schools, hospitals, roads and provide portable water for the people are used to take care of security personnel who are deployed to the area. Already, the North is deprived and is the poorest in the country by every indicator of human development. Conflicts have compounded the problems of the area making our people poorer than before.

Also, business activities often come to a standstill as a result of the conflicts. Potential investors are also scared of investing in the area because they often fear for their lives and assets. Many projects and properties including human lives are destroyed and lost through such conflicts. Where are the killers of Issa Mobila? Ya Naa, the King of Dagbon? What of his 40 elders? In his letter from Birmingham jail, Martin Luther said, “for years now I have heard the words ‘wait’. It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This ‘wait’ has almost always meant ‘never’. We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that, “justice too long delayed is justice denied”. As long as injustice continues to show its ugly head in the society, the conflicts will continue unabated.

I must commend the work of the national peace council, committee of eminent chiefs and various organizations for their effort in bringing peace to our people. I must however be quick to add that, the leadership and people of the North should be made to solve the conflict problems in the North since they know the causes of the conflicts than any other person. With this, I agree with my own Archbishop, Gregory Kpienbayaa that, those who fight for lasting peace in the area only identify the symptoms and not the causes, which have historical antecedents and that, ‘outsiders’ can not come to a place to identify the problems of a people. The people live with the problems and they know them best.

In conclusion, it is true that we live our lives forward but understand it in the past. It is wise also to do away with our past history which has negative effects on our development agenda. Therefore, let us join hands together as brothers and sisters with a common destiny fighting for a common cause. Let us live in peace and harmony with one another knowing that we can only move forward if we have peace. Now is the time for us as a people from the North to bury our hatchets and forge together in Unity.

Francis Xavier Tuokuu

National Service Personnel University of Ghana P.O. Box LG 59 Legon – Accra. (mactuokuu@yahoo.com)