For more than 80 years the people of Nkonya and Alavanyo have engaged in violence and killings that resulted in insecurity and occasional tension as a result of protracted dispute over a parcel of land. The problem hampered socio-economic development because the citizens of the two areas could not go about their socio-economic activities.
Although Alavanyo and Nkonya are just about four kilometres apart they could not attend funerals of relatives. They could not go to schools located in either side, teachers refused transfers to the area, there was no trade between them as close neighbours and they could not worship together in churches.
I remember that during a monitoring tour during the 2004 general election in the area, I attempted to drive through Nkonya-Ahenkro towards Alavanyo-Kpeme but had to retreat because the road had become dangerous and inaccessible because of the conflict.
But today the people of the two areas have stopped all animosities and antagonism through the mediation of eminent persons from the Volta Region, led by the former Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Very Reverend Dr Livingstone Buamah, and Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese, Most Reverend Francis Anani Lodonu.
And to consolidate that the women of the area decided to embark on a peace rally to say no to war and conflict because they were found most vulnerable when there was any unrest in the communities.
Their enthusiasm and commitment was depicted on placards they held during the peace rally. Some of the placards read, “ Peace is the answer”, “ Peace is good”, “Government give us the jubilee peace road now”, “ We are moving forward in peace”, “ We want peace”, “ Unity is strength”, among others.
The peace rally was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ghana Office, the Ho Diocesan Department of Pastoral/ Social Communications, Gender and Development, and Peace and Justice offices of the diocese, as a follow-up to a series of workshops aimed at addressing the needs of women affected by the conflict.
The Director of communications of the Catholic Church in the Ho Diocese, Sister Rejoice E. A. Sedegah, said the UNDP had embarked on a programme aimed at empowering the women to promote their socio-economic status and alleviate poverty on the theme, “Integrated Support Programme for the Women of Nkonya and Alavanyo”.
She said a number of women had been trained in business management, agronomic practices and advocacy skills under the project and that had created a lot of awareness, leading to the peace rally, while some had been supplied with agro-processing equipment.
Sister Sedegah said the people of Alavanyo and Nkonya had become a beacon of peace because people in conflict elsewhere always referred to them for guidance in the application of non-violence to the resolution of conflict.
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, said conflicts and disputes were the causes of insecurity and brought untold hardship and wanton waste of scarce resources which could have been used to improve the living standards of citizens.
“ In the long run the most vulnerable and less privileged who are women and children are the worst hit by such disputes and the resultant consequences,” he lamented.
The regional minister advised them to commit themselves to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) method of conflict resolution instead of resorting to the law courts and security intervention that resulted in appeals and counter appeals against judgement, that rather heightened tension.
The Chairman of the consultative committee, Mr William Kpende, said the peace rally of the women underlined the declaration of the youth in 2005, never again to allow themselves to be used as tools for conflict.
He announced that a team of surveyors had completed and identified the overlapping areas which apparently was the bone of contention and would soon be resolved by the two sides to advance the peace process.
In their peace messages, the paramount queens of Alavanyo and Nkonya, Mamaga Ametor II and Nana Otubia II respectively, stated that they had resolved never to allow misunderstanding between the people to result in the use of the gun as an instrument for a solution.
They declared that “we the women of Nkonya and Alavanyo want to say with one accord that never again shall we sit down to allow our people to go to war. War between Nkonya and Alavanyo should belong to the past. It has done us no good”.
Peace messages were also delivered by the Regional Director of the Department of Women, Ms Lena Alai, the Regional Youth Co-ordinator, Mr Ransford L. Ocloo, the senior linguist of Nkonya-Tayi, Mr Joseph Atuobi, and the youth group.
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