Is Tamale turning into a battlefield?
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot

Accra, Feb 22, Ghanadot - Tamale, the largest town in the northern part of Ghana and also the Northern Regional capital is becoming a battlefield.  Not a day passes without hearing an ethnic, chieftaincy or political clashes.

Just this week alone, one person died and several others got injured following skirmishes between youth groups believed to be sympathizers of the two major political parties; the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), in Tamale.

The deceased, Abdul-Rashid Nashiru, who passed away after sustaining gunshot on his jaw, is in the morgue of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. The deceased is said to a sympathizer of the NDC.

Some of the injured persons have since been treated and discharged from the hospital. Those still on admission are Nuhu Fuseini, Mohammed Saaka, Ziblim Majeed and Kasim Yehuza.

The situation has also slowed down business activities in the central business district of the metropolis as people were seen in groups discussing the violence.

However, there was heavy security presence on patrol duties of the area to help nip any further disturbances in the bud.

There are several factors which always lead to these clashes among people of the same ancestors.  The commonest is our politicians taking advantage of the "ignorance" and poverty on the part of some of the youth to foment trouble and chaos.

These politicians just buy the youth's loyalty with measly or derisory "chop monies", and the next second, you see brothers and sisters on each other's throat and (the youth) going on the rampage.  Members of this group have become "instruments of violence" in the area.

Some of these youth use the paltry sums from the politicians to smoke marijuana and take in hard liquor to enable them execute their ungodly acts.

To add insult to injury, what these instruments don't know is that when the same politicians that incite them to cause mayhem are often seen behind the scene winning and dinning together!

When we see "Honourable Members" inveighing one another in parliament, we conclude it's so real. Yet after the day’s business, they go to have fun together. Most of them are the best of friends.

One needs to see, for instance, the Minority Leader in a cozy tête-à-tête with the Majority Leader (over some STAR beer, I guess).

When it comes to signing loans to get themselves cars, or ex-gratia that benefits all of them, they come together. And we (the supporters) who benefit very little, if at all, tend to fight one another. God have mercy!

Can't our brothers and sisters see? Can't we learn? What hurts is the fact that those of us who have been privileged to have more formal education, and are supposed to be more enlightened, and so should serve as agents of change have failed our less fortunate brothers.

Because the so-called less privileged ones respect us and our views, we should be able to convince them to eschew violence. Ask any of those leaders (NDC, NPP, CPP, etc) to send their own sons to go and cause trouble to test their commitment to violence, and you'll be amazed!

When the 2008 Elections drew nigh, many people felt gripped by fear that something terrible would happen. And after the peaceful run-off which paved the way for a peaceful transition, and the subsequent emergence of Ghana as the "beacon of democracy" in Africa , many of us proudly told all our friends how proud we are to be Ghanaian. And I was personally gratified that no violence erupted in the north, especially Tamale due to evidence available from the past. The clashes (on Wednesday) came as a shock that over-shadowed the relative peace we have maintained there so far.

Until quite recently, Tamale was noted as being the fastest growing city in the West African sub-region. I doubt whether the same can be said today.

Tamale is a beautiful city with lots of growth potential. Its strategic spatial location, actually connecting the "south" with Burkina Faso , Mali , etc is a big advantage. And most non-governmental organizations are headquartered there to provide services to the people.

Business is mostly brisk, and its demography is becoming impressively cosmopolitan, which attracts both local and foreign investors to the metropolis. All these are pointers to the fact that Tamale is an enviable city in West Africa .

Furthermore, who is there to gainsay that the "north" and "south" have a wide development gap? And whilst efforts are being made, particularly with the establishment of the Northern Development Fund, to bridge this gap, we don't seem to be helping the situation with recurrent violence.

No prudent investor, however risk-loving, will invest in a violence-prone area. Investors are looking for havens to invest their funds; not areas beset with insecurity and uncertainty.

We need to wake up from our slumber. Like many places in the country, and in Africa , we have pressing needs. Every single sole is vital towards our struggle against poverty, illiteracy and disease. And every pesewa counts as well. All the funds that go into keeping peace in the area (and many other areas) could be channeled into productive ventures that will benefit us as a country.

We must call on our brothers, sisters, uncles, fathers and the general Ghanaian people especially our leaders to join in sensitizing our people on the need to fight violence, not only in the north, but the entire country. After all, there is nothing to gain from violence, but a lot to lose! In other words, with peace, there is nothing to lose, but a lot to gain.
It is therefore advisable for the youth especially not to allow themselves to be used to cause violence at the least provocation. Tamale is not a jungle, but part of Ghana, where law and order must be allowed to operate.

Ghanadot