ELECTIONS MUST NOT DIVIDE US — BISHOP ARONGO (PAGE 47)

THE Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Tamale, Right Reverend Emmanuel Arongo, has called on Ghanaians to let this year be a reconciliatory one.
He said being an election year there was the need for reconciliation in the body polity of the country so as to ensure peace before, during and after the elections.
He said it was sad that politics had divided Ghanaians to the extent that people belonging to different ideologies were seen as enemies.
Bishop Arongo made the call at the launch of the national outreach programme of the National Union of Anglican Students (NUAS) in Wa.
Bishop Arongo noted that instead of fighting one another, this was the time to convince people to vote for their party instead of seeing themselves as enemies.
“When people are not reconciled they smear themselves with mud and this goes a long way to sow seeds of discord which continue for generations,” he added.
He advised young people not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to achieve their selfish aims.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr George Hickah Benson, pointed out the important position the chieftaincy institution occupied in society and said it positively influenced majority of people.
This, he said, was manifested in the long-standing partnership between chiefs and the government in the nation’s development.
Mr Benson, however, expressed concern about the number of chieftaincy conflicts in the region, saying that the region was too small for such number of disputes.
He stressed the need for proper documentation of chieftaincy lineage, since the availability of such a document would go a long way to facilitate the settlement of such disputes.
The President of the Regional House of Chiefs and a member of the Council of State, Kuoro Kuri Butie Limann IV, commended the government for passing the Chieftaincy Bill into an Act.
He warned against the use of chieftaincy issues as political propaganda and mentioned that “chieftaincy is based on lineage and should not be used on such platforms”.
Kuoro Buktie Limann said the region was confronted with eleven chieftaincy disputes, five of which were at the paramountcy level with six at the divisional level.
He further gave the assurance that the house was doing all within its powers to resolve them.
Kuoro Limann also appealed to the minister to assist the house to complete its permanent office complex which was at a standstill.
He also called on the media to be very circumspect in its reportage in order not to create unnecessary tension in the country.
In a speech read for him, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Aziz, commended the Anglican Church for its role in the development of the country.
He said the government was very appreciative of the complementary role of the church in nation building.
The President of NUAS, Mr David Kpakpo Mingle, thanked the church for the support being given to the association.