Omanghana
Veteran journalist and Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has urged young people in Gomoa and Effutu to reject attempts to involve them in violent boundary and land disputes.
His warning follows renewed clashes in New Winneba that reportedly claimed three lives, injured 17 people and caused extensive damage to property.
Pratt argued that the people who fight and lose their lives during communal, chieftaincy and boundary conflicts are rarely those who profit from the disputed land.
“The people who benefit never die. The people who fight and die in these clashes are not the ones who sell the land, pocket the money or build mansions with the proceeds,” he said.
According to him, influential individuals often exploit unemployed and vulnerable young people by stirring ethnic emotions and reviving historical territorial disagreements.
He claimed that some traditional leaders, political actors and private developers mobilize young people as foot soldiers to protect commercial interests from which they will receive no meaningful benefit.
Pratt cautioned residents against sacrificing their lives for parcels of land that may eventually be sold to private developers, while the proceeds remain in the hands of a few powerful individuals.
He appealed directly to young people in both Gomoa and Effutu to exercise restraint and priorities their education, employment, families and personal safety.
The veteran journalist said disagreements over land ownership and traditional boundaries should be settled through legal and administrative processes rather than street confrontations.
He consequently called on the Lands Commission, the Ministry of the Interior and the relevant regional security councils to intervene decisively.
Pratt urged the institutions to use properly conducted surveys, historical records and existing laws to establish the boundaries and prevent further violence.
His remarks come amid growing tension within communities along the disputed corridor. Gomoa Central Member of Parliament Kwame Obeng Asare, popularly known as A-Plus, has indicated that residents are preparing to demonstrate over what they consider the police’s handling of the clashes.
The MP has also questioned the location of a newly constructed police station within the contested area, adding another dimension to the disagreement.
The deaths and injuries have intensified calls for the government, security agencies and traditional authorities to resolve the dispute before further confrontations occur.
Source: Omanghana
