Globally we have about 1,753 conflicts going on which has to do with various issues of economic, politics, ethnicity and religious undertone. Indicatively out of this figure about one hundred and twenty one conflicts has to do with religion and ethnicity.
In recent times the level of religious and ethnic dimension in our public political discourse can be considered as worrying and threatening and we as a nation have to rise up and speak to it.
The Security Policy Expert, at Centre for Security Dialogue and Peace Advocacy Mr. Anthony Acquaye, stated this on Adekyee Mu Nsem on Ahotor 92.3 FM hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu.
He said going into 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections the records for the two leading flag bearers John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on NDC ticket and Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) job creation, employment opportunity for the unemployed youth, than threading on the dangerous ground of ethnicity and religion which can degenerate into conflicts.
The main dominant parties in the fourth republic the NPP and the NDC have been in the political leadership for eight years concurrently and he entreat the two leaders to speak to their records and policies to sale their brands and policies to win power than the going on the dangerous path of ethnicity and religion.
Historically, in Ghana the ethnic conflicts can mostly be found in the Northern part of the country and fortunately the two major political leaders are coming from the North and there is a need for these two leaders and opinion leaders to frown on any ethnic and religious comments that can degenerate into conflicts.
Mr. Anthony Acquaye, opined that, religious and ethnic conflicts that have a political undertone are very difficult to control. Since this always has to do with loyalty and economic benefits and he is calling on all the leaders and opinion leaders to stand tall to desist from this common enemy that can destroy and divide the country.
He reiterated that, there are a lot of example of dangerous ethnic and religious conflict all over the world that has destroy countries and generation because of misunderstanding.
There is a need for the state, leaders and opinion leaders to rise up to use their platforms to discourage unreserved political comments in the heat of political campaign that has to do with ethnicity and religion, for the country to continue to co-exist in peace before and after the 2024 elections.
AYM Kukah: E:mail: kukahalexander7@gmail.com
