The District Chief Executives (DCEs) for Bunkpurgu-Nakpanduri and Yunyoo Nasua Districts of the North East Region have expressed worry over how land and chieftaincy disputes are draining the coffers of their respective assemblies.
They disclose several thousands of Ghana cedis from the allocation of District Assembly Common Fund, which would have been used for development, was wasted on resolving land disputes.
The entire Bunkpurugu, Nakpanduri and Yunyoo areas have been battling land and chieftaincy disputes since the late 80s.
It has become an annual canker that surfaces at the beginning of every farming season as the farmers tend to fight over available lands for their farming activities.
Several lives have been lost with many others rendered homeless.
Speaking at the launch of ASERD-GHANA project on preventing violence and enhancing security of border areas in the North East Region, the chief executives for both districts revealed they spend a chunk of the District Assembly common Fund allocation on conflict resolution.
“Chieftaincy and land disputes in particular have constituted serious security threats and a major drain on the meager resources of the district assembly.
“In the Bunkpurgu-Nakpandiri District and for the first quarter, over GH¢40,000 has been spent on protracted and potentially explosive chieftaincy and land conflicts,” DCE for Bunkpurgu-Nakpandiri Joseph Louknaan revealed.
For his part, DCE for Yunyo-Nasuan Konlan Bitian said the District has spent more than the stated amount by the Bunkpurgu-Nakpandiri DCE.
“We have spent over the GH¢40,000 you have mentioned. I can’t get the accurate figure now but is way more than the GH¢40,000 and everything was wasted on conflict.”
source:3news
