PEACE ACTIVIST SUES VOLTA MINISTER

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, October 23, 2015

A peace activist has sued the Volta Regional Coordinating Council for allegedly stopping efforts aimed at bringing lasting peace to Nkonya and Alavanyo - two communities where there has been a protracted conflict.

Abraham Korbla Klutse of Youth for Peace and Security Africa (YPS-Africa) has petitioned an Accra Human Rights Court to order the Volta Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to allow him to implement a peace plan he initiated to bring lasting peace to the two longstanding feuding communities.

In his motion on notice of an application for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, the applicant says he is seeking a declaration that “the purported suspension of the applicant’s organization on December 2, 2014 by the respondent from operating in the Volta Region violated the applicant’s fundamental human rights.”

Mr Abraham Korbla Klutse is also seeking damages for violation of his fundamental human rights, especially the rights guaranteed under Article 21(1)(e) and 23 of the 1992 Constitution and any other order the court might deem fit.

The applicant said on December 4, 2014, he embarked on what he called self-funded programme titled: “Persuading a local participatory reconciliation towards facilitating a lasting peace and development to end the Alavanyo-Nkonya conflict” and succeeded in introducing the project to the various district assemblies as well as the traditional authorities, communities and the REGSEG, among others.

“I set up sub-clubs of YPS-Africa in the communities and schools of Alavanyo and Nkonya. Effective communication and control networks were built among the clubs and the people to help prevent clashes; to get everybody actively and well engaged in the peace building process; and to facilitate the healing of victims of the conflict,” the petitioner averred.

According to Mr Abraham Korbla Klutse, he also facilitated the major peace dialogue for the new Alavanyo-Nkonya negotiating teams put in place by the two respective traditional councils and the teams were inaugurated on February 26 and July 3, 2014 with approval from the communities.

The petitioner said that the Volta Regional Coordinating Council even wrote to him on May 7, 2014 acknowledging and thanking him for his commitment towards peace.

According to Korbla Klutse, a letter he wrote to the Regional Minister on July 16, 2014 requesting for a   meeting among all stakeholders was replied to through the Coordinating Council. He said the Council asked him to use the newly-inaugurated peace council to summon the meeting, but it never took place.

He posited that after putting all structures in place - including securing the Kpando Municipal Assembly Hall - for the peace talks, the Regional Coordinating Council bizarrely suspended the project.

The applicant claimed that the Council said it was suspending the project because it was going to “bring embarrassment to the Volta REGSEG.”

“The suspension of the peace project which eventually blocked the peace dialogue, also automatically suspended the roles being played by   the two traditional councils, the chiefs, elders, the youth and all communities involved in the peace-building process.”

Mr Korbla Klutse said that the government claimed to have brought a new team to re-start fresh peace dialogue, but it never worked saying, “From January till date, not a single step has been taken by the new peace team.”