TECHIMAN TO FORM MUNICIPAL PEACE COUNCIL (PAGE 15)

THE Techiman Traditional Council is to form a Municipal Peace Council that will handle complaints that may arise from activities of political parties within the Techiman Municipality before, during and after the December 7 election.
Membership of the council would include the Catholic Bishop of Techiman Diocese, pastors, heads of the security service, Nananom and other eminent citizens who are desirous to ensure peaceful and violence-free elections.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, who disclosed this at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, pointed out that now that Ghanaians had decided to embrace liberal democracy, “we should be prepared to accept dissenting views, because our political opponents are not our enemies”.
The Omanhene, who was addressing the annual Ohene Ameyaw Fofie Yam festival, entreated Nananom in particular to preach a message of peace and unity to their people and let them understand that in spite of their political differences, they were all Ghanaians and should, therefore, avoid any form of violence for a better Ghana.
The celebration of the Fofie Yam festival by the chiefs and people of the Techiman Traditional Area provides not only the spiritual significance of their way of life, but also sets the platform for evaluating social, economic and political lives of the people.
It is again the period for the people to express their appreciation to the Almighty God for giving them a bumper harvest, a time to feed the spirits of their ancestors and pour libation to invoke their spirits to positively redirect the people.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw pointed out that, “whatever happens in the forthcoming December election, only one political party would emerge victorious and so all others should be prepared to accept defeat, since that would go a long way to sustain the peace we are currently enjoying in the country.”
He, however, reminded Nananom to be aware that their active participation in party politics was inimical to the chieftaincy institution as they were the embodiment of culture and the society at large.
“For this reason, we cannot be treated as just ordinary people. Any little remarks in favour of a political faction erodes the confidence of the opposition faction in you, and so you should maintain your political neutrality and be tactful and diplomatic in your approaches to political party issues,” Oseadeeyo Ameyaw advised.
However, he declared that “we should condemn in no uncertain terms, insults, character assassination, coercion and any form of intimidation or ethnic sentiments, and our arguments, presentations on political platforms, discussions on radio stations as well as phone-ins should be issue-based”.
On the law of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, the Omanhene said he supported the call for its deletion from the statute books because of the perception that it was dividing the society, and this is the time for each one of us to talk about unity, to write about unity and do things that reinforce unity amongst Ghanaians, irrespective of one’s political lineage, tribe or religion. We need to build bridges and not to burn them”.