A group calling itself ‘Concerned Nkonya Youth’ in the Biyakoye District of the Volta Region has petitioned President Akufo-Addo to immediately institute an inquiry team to conduct public investigations into the alleged corrupt practices of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) in managing the Nkonya and Alavanyo conflict.
The group also wants government to investigate criminalities and human right violations in the conflict areas, since they suspect some state officials are involved.
These were contained in a statement read at a press briefing held at Nkonya in the Volta Region on Tuesday July 24, 2018.
Leader of Concerned Nkonya Youth, Cosmos Sarpong, who read the statement said between 2013 and 2014, the Youth for Peace and Security-Africa (YPS-Africa) with support from the United States, led the conflict communities to build a progressive and successful peace building process to end the over 100-years conflict.
The youth alleged that the VRCC allegedly blocked a successful planned Alavanyo-Nkonya peace talk under the YPS-Africa Project with the claim that they [VRCC] would not get credit if the peace talk went on.
The group said since then the conflict has escalated and many people loss their live from both sides.
The Youth alleged that about GHS10million is spent annually on meetings, seminars and peacekeeping operations in managing the conflict.
They also alleged that there is connection between VRCC and some group of businessmen who engage in illegal lumbering in the disputed forest land.
They added that these actions and inactions of the VRCC is to continue making money out of the conflict.
The youth are therefore demanding that the investigation should begin to unravel the truth or anyone shot dead again would be dumped at the Biyakoye District Assembly.
They have also threatened to stop paying taxes and tolls to the Assembly.
The Assembly Member for the Area, Daniel Kwame Ansah, accused the VRCC of preventing the security services from driving the illegal lumbers out of the disputed forestry.
In response to these allegations, the District Chief Executive of Biakoye, Comfort Akua Attah, denied haven knowledge of such an amount and the VRCC involvement in such criminal activities as illegal lumbering.
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