Traditional authorities in Assin North have cautioned political leaders to be mindful of comments which could undermine the peace of the area before, during, and after the by-election.
Despite the tribal, religious, and ethnic diversity, the chiefs said the area remained indivisible and will continuously guard the standing unity and peace ahead of Tuesday, June 27 by-election.
“For us, we have come a long way, and have a history of peaceful coexistence among ourselves despite the tribe, religion and ethnic diversity which have always remain indivisible.
“It is this love for each other, underpinned by the biblical directive of love your neighbour as thyself, that today Assin is rated as the most peaceful place in the country, and we thank God for that,” Nana Yaw Owusu Aduomi, the Chief of Assin-Praso, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
To him, the sustenance of unity and peace of the country over the years was a feat that was well deserved and should not be taken for granted.
“Let’s be careful with what we say and how we say it to ensure that it does not bring political instability, and unnecessary tension in a peaceful area because peace is the pinnacle for development,” he indicated.
The Chief’s upbeat about peace and use of intemperate language was borne out of the steady rise of political tension and apprehension due to high stakes in the by-election.
He said some recent pockets of ethnic sentiment and unsubstantiated contentions being peddled by some political actors could disturb the peace of the area and must stop.
He admitted the fact that there had not been political acrimony in the area, however, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) had deployed various schemes to win votes, resulting in high anxieties.
Reinforced by the hung parliament which had split NPP and NDC into almost equal, he said the two political parties, had a lot to fight for, hence the different maneuvering and tactics.
He wondered why leaders of political parties had for years agreed to be decorous in their public discourse but had failed to punish members for misguided statements to deter others.
“The politicians had sometimes defended those reckless statements as rebuttals, in the context that: “This person said that, and that person also went to say this.”
“Such positions only came to hurt the nation because “none of them is helpful.”
For the media, he charged them to be careful about the platforms they offered to political actors.
They must ensure that people who got onto their platforms did not abuse the public space with reckless statements that would jeopardize the peace of the area and the country at large.
Nonetheless, Nana Aduomi called on the government to redeem its promises to construct the Assin-Praso town roads and bring back the tollbooth in the community, which was relocated due to the road construction.
