Nkonya-Alavanyo Conflict: Security Analyst calls for Policy to Conduct House-to-House Search for Guns…

Nana Owusu Sekyere, a Security Analyst has called on government to conduct house-to-house raids to flash out illicit guns and ammunitions he believed is fuelling the violence over the protracted land dispute between the natives of Alavanyo and Nkonya in the Volta Region.

“I want to ask myself a question, why is it that, that environment continues to have guns; people continue to have ammunitions under their beds or in their houses? It clearly tells you that maybe what we have to do is a house to house search of arms and guns in people’s homes. We may have to conduct security audit to understand how the temperature of the terrain is to appreciate the needs of the people to be able to stand appropriately so as security agencies in the face of the insecurity at that community” Nana Sekyere told XYZ News’ Joe Bright Nyarko.

“So we may have to do what i call a security audit and we may have to come up with a very very creative program if not policy where each and every home could be searched and rightly so because we continuously experience people being shot even though there is the presence of the military and the police” he stressed.

Nana Owusu Sekyere called on government to expand the proposed acquisition of the disputed land into a security situation that would sustain the peace in the area. He charged that every house in the community must be searched to bring about a lasting security in that environment.

Minister for the Interior Dominic Nitiwul responding to concerns raised by fellow MPs on the disturbance in that community, told parliament government would acquire the parcel of land that has caused the two neighbours to renew hostilities at the least opportunity as part of measures to mitigate the violence and killings.

Dispute not a war situation

Mr. Kwadzo Aboagye, Member of Parliament for Biakoye constituency which includes the feuding Alavanyo and Nkonya has however downplayed the proliferation of arms in the area. According to him the natives are naturally good black smiths but are not producing guns to fuel a war.

“The Area is noted for very good craftsmanship…blacksmithing. Manufacturing guns has been something they’ve being doing for centuries, which is not what is fuelling, the man knows his trade and he does it to sell to survive”, he explained in defence.

“And if you look at the way these killings are coming, it is not a war; it is more of a revenge killing”. The MP further chided that “if it was a war, it would not be this five or six people killed in two months” and noted that “people are not moving as troupes to fight”

He noted that certain criminal elements are behind some of the killings that are reported as being part of the supposed conflict between the people of Alavanyo and Nkonya. These criminals he said might not want people to come close to certain areas to foil their operations. Mr. Aboagye said he was worried about the conflict because his people are dying.

By: Joe Bright Nyarko