By Fatima Anafu-Astanga
Bolgatanga, March 29, GNA – The Association of Retired Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools and the Association of Principals of Technical Institutes of the Upper East Region have appealed to stakeholders in the Bawku Chieftaincy Conflict to ensure peace in the area.
In a press statement signed by the Associations’ leaders, Mr Martin Aloara, Chairman and Mr Francis Adajangsa Secretary, to the GNA in Bolgatanga, the retired principals said they were pained and concerned about the repercussions of the conflict in the Bawku Municipality and environs.
‘’We are particularly concerned that teaching and learning in schools and operations of health facilities are greatly affected”, it stated.
“The traumatic experiences of people particularly the aged and seeing the young and energetic future generation losing their lives or becoming maimed as a result is agonizing”.
They said the situation in Bawku was making retired teachers in the area not to have peaceful minds to rest after years of hard work and dedicated service to the country.
“We think that our traditional maternal uncle’s homes are revered hence it is claimed in the old adage that ‘you don’t point your left finger at your uncle’s house’, if this is something to go by then, it is abominable to shoot at an uncle or burn his house down because of conflict”, it said.
“We have also felt that intermarriages between the two feuding factions should bring uncles and nephews to let cool heads prevail in the area “.
The retirees therefore appealed to people of Bawku to cease fire and avail themselves to the law courts and conflict resolution processes to bring lasting peace to the area.
They noted that though they were not security experts, ‘‘we think that terrorists’ activities in our neighboring countries could exploit the Bawku conflict to enter Ghana”.
It is estimated that about 2000 pupils at various stages of education in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region are currently not in school for fear of losing their lives due to the violent conflict.
Also about 100 school teachers left the classroom when the conflict resurfaced in the area in 2022 and is still not over.
GNA