President John Mahama has called for peace in Nkwanta following recent outbreaks of violence that have claimed lives and escalated tensions in the Oti Region.
Speaking during his’ Thank You Tour’ of the region, President Mahama strongly condemned the killings and urged all factions to abandon violence and embrace dialogue.
“ Please, let’s give peace a chance. Every once in a while, in the security reports, I read very disturbing news about people who have died, including students. It’s completely unacceptable,” he said.
He called on residents to prioritise traditional conflict resolution methods and unity, warning that continued violence threatens the future of the region.
“Let’s dialogue. Let’s use our traditional mechanisms to establish peace, because we have to live together. We’re one and the same people,” he added.
The President stressed that the true threat to the region is not ethnic or chieftaincy divisions, but poverty.
“Our common enemy is poverty, not ourselves. We should be fighting poverty, not fighting each other,” he said.
“And so government will make sure that we provide the appropriate security to ensure that people are able to go about their businesses without fear of being harmed,” he assured.
Chiefs Demand Stronger Security Measures
Meanwhile, the President of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Soglo Alloh IV, called for urgent and sustained security interventions.
He appealed to the government to establish a permanent military base to address recurring violence and improve response times.
“Your Excellency, the region is currently experiencing serious ethnic and chieftaincy conflicts and these are of national security concerns,” he said.
He highlighted the specific areas affected by unrest and warned that the situation could worsen without swift action.
“There are pockets of ethnic violence in Nkwanta South constituency, chieftaincy conflicts in Pai Katanga and Kadjebi Akan constituency, and anticipated ethnic violence in Kpassa and its environment,” he explained.
“We urgently need the attention of the national security to tackle these conflicts before they take different dimensions,” he added.
“We are also pleading with the government to establish a permanent military base in the region to be situated either in Dambai or in Nkwanta,” he appealed.
