Peace Activist - Businessmen Behind Nkonya-Alavanyo Conflict

By Samuel Agbewode

A Peace activist in the Nkonya-Alavanyo conflict, Mr. Clemens Jato, is alleging that some faceless people are using the conflict to promote their business, which includes the sale of arms. He is, therefore, suggesting to the government to dig deeper to ascertain the root cause of the conflict and deal with it.

According to him, the confidence the people have in the police and the military was being gradually eroded, because since the conflict started some decades ago, no single arrest had been made.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle at Nkonya-Wurupong, Mr. Jato noted that the recent killings in Nkonya and Alavanyo were not only shameful, but a clear case of cowardice and advised the police to arrest those involved.

Mr. Jato argued that the Volta Regional Security Council and the committees set up to mediate in the conflict have all failed because they have failed to identify the real cause of the conflict and its attendant killings.

"It is also clear that the chiefs and elders of Nkonya and Alavanyo have not helped in ending the conflict over the years. They have shown bad faith resulting in the continuous shedding of innocent blood," he said.

He noted that the conflict had destabilized growth and development of the area and that the deliberate practice by selected few to enrich themselves through the conflict must come to an end.

Mr. Jato called for the reconstruction of the road from Nkonya to Alavanyo -Kpeme. He alleged that because of the bad nature of the roads, people hide in the area to commit crime.

He regretted that all the time he had spent in ensuring peace in the area had come to nothing as the shootings and the killings continued unabated.

Jato also told The Chronicle that he disagreed with the leadership of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs to suspend the two paramount chiefs of Nkonya, Nana Okotor Kofi and Togbe Tsedzie Atakora of Alavanyo from the House.

To him, such an action would not help in resolving the conflict, neither would organization of meetings in Hoalso help the situation.

He suggested that all meetings about the conflict should be held at both Nkonya and Alavanyo so that the youth can also participate.

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