Mr. Stephen Kojo Engmen, a lecturer in Social Policy Analysis at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Wa Campus, has appealed to people in the Northern, Upper West and Upper East regions to see peace as a social capital.
Mr. Engmen, who spoke on: “Poverty alleviation in Northern Ghana - The role of Dagbon Students”, at a forum organised by the Dagbon Students Association of the Wa Campus of UDS, said the relevance of social cohesion was critical for societies to prosper economically and for development to be sustainable.
He therefore urged people from the three regions to fight hard to eliminate mistrust, fear, suspicion and superiority complex.
The forum was organised to take stock of the operations of the Association during the past years and to foster unity among the students as well as come out with innovative programmes to help reduce poverty in the area.
Mr. Engmen appealed to people of the three regions to develop a strong and united political force, irrespective of their ethnic lineage and come to consensus on vital issues and requirements of the area.
“We must avoid ethnic sentiments as to where vital development projects should be cited. We must be committed to expend cash judiciously for the development of the north”, he said.
Mr Engmen expressed disappointment at the alleged misappropriation of funds by leaders of the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority, saying: “We northerners are our own enemies.”
Mr. Engmen who traced the history of educational policies of northern Ghana, during pre-colonial and colonial periods, appealed to the youth and students’ organisations to show commitment to eliminating illiteracy in the regions of the north.
He said they should demand from the government an education policy that would bridge the wide gap between northern Ghana and southern Ghana – a gap brought about as result of a deliberate policy that “we never have control over”.
On development, Mr. Engmen, urged people of the three regions to develop strategies that would bring them together as a united front for investment possibilities in the regions.
“Let northerners in the Diaspora take advantage of the investment opportunities in the north and come home to invest in areas such as agriculture and education.
The people must also demand from government special incentives for investments in the north”, he said.
He suggested to the government to organise “Savanna Homecoming Summit” to afford northerners in the Diaspora the opportunity to explore investment opportunities in the north.
Mr Engmen said they should develop a consciousness that they had been disadvantaged in the past and must develop a cooperate sense of responsibility towards every single person.
“Let all do the right things today and forget the past. Let us remember our past but learn to work with the moment”, he said.
Mr. Huseini S. Haruna, the Upper Regional Director of National Commission for Civic Education who chaired the forum, expressed regret at the practice where foreign cultures were submerging indigenous cultures.
He expressed the fear that sooner or later the cultural identities of ethnic groups in Ghana would be missing and called for serious work to be done to curtail it.
