Northern women’s group march for peace
Members of the Northern Women for Peace, a group of women traders in Northern Ghana, have marched for peace, pledging their commitment to continue to advise their husbands, children and colleagues on a daily basis, to avoid tendencies that can degenerate into electoral violence.
Advertisement
They have, therefore, called on political parties to be careful about the things they say, because the whole world was watching and looking up to Ghana as a beacon of democracy in Africa.
They also called on political party leaders and their supporters to desist from making inflammatory statements and speeches that could incite people to engage in violent acts before, during and after the general election.
Peace march
Led by their President, Madam Sara Ajara Musah, the women gave the assurance when they converged on the Dakpema Naa’s palace after a peace march through some principal streets in the Tamale metropolis on Saturday, to present their concerns to him on the need for all in the region and Ghana as a whole to ensure peace before, during and after the December 7, 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The Dakpema-Naa, Alhaji Alhassan Dawuni, is the Chief of Tamale, with all the markets in the Tamale metropolis under his jurisdiction and care, hence the decision by the women traders to call on him.
The peace march, which was the second in a series, was to raise awareness on the need for all Ghanaians to help safeguard the current peace and tranquility prevailing in the country before, during and after the elections since it was women, children, the aged and other vulnerable persons in the society who were mostly affected when there was violence and conflicts.
The women started the march from the Jubilee Park through the central business district area of the metropolis and ended at the Dakpema Naa’s palace.
In an address read by the President of the group, Madam Musah stressed that, “election to public office was not a do and die affair, nor does it constitute winning power at any cost. It is not about character assassination or inciting some people against others. It is a contest of ideas and not about using hate speech or indecent language.”
Pleading with chiefs
Speaking at the Dakpema Naa’s palace, she pleaded with chiefs in the region to advise politicians any time they visited them at their various palaces on the need for them to ensure peace before, during and after the December general election.
According to Madam Musah, an outbreak of violence and conflict, before and after the election would affect people living with disabilities, the aged, women and children, and therefore, there was the need for traditional authorities to champion the cause of peace before, during and after the elections in the country.
She, therefore, pleaded with all traditional authorities to use the influence they wield in the society to impress on political leaders to tone down their language in order not to heighten the political tension in the country in the run-up to the general election.
Seeking redress
She further appealed to the various political parties contesting the elections to abide by the rules and regulations of the elections and accept the results as announced or use the appropriate means to seek redress, to prevent any pre and post- election violence or conflict in the country.
“We can’t rule out the fact that the elections are competitive but the Northern Region and Ghana in general must remain peaceful. We all know that to every competition there are rules, so we are pleading with the presidential and parliamentary candidates and their supporters to play by the rules and accept the results as announced or use the appropriate means to seek redress,” Madam Musah emphasised.