Let’s not allow religious extremism to destroy our peace — Dr Abu Sakara

Dr Abu Sakara Forster, a former presidential candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), has called on the youth to stay united in spite of our religious and sectorial differences.

He said Ghana was fortunate to be enjoying peace and stability today and we could not afford to destroy it.

Dr Abu Sakara said we needed to be conscious of what was happening to countries around us and work towards protecting our peace and stability.

"Today, we have many issues and situations surrounding our country. Our neighbours don't know peace.

We have problems in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali — all of extremist nature driven under the cover of religious extremism.

If our people do not understand that this is a ploy and that this peaceful coexistence with our fellow Ghanaians can be disturbed by following such people, then we will have problems," he said.

He was speaking at a national consultative meeting of the chiefs of Wangara (Mende) held on the theme: "Peace, unity and development: the way forward."

Dr Abu Sakara said the meeting was important because it presented an opportunity for them as Mendes to affirm their commitment as citizens of this country.

He congratulated the chiefs for organising the meeting which had brought together people who had been dispersed in the diaspora for a long time.

Dr Abu Sakara said the meeting helped them renew their sense of purpose and also helped examine how they could better contribute to the respective countries where they found themselves.

“We want to also demonstrate that regardless of religion, we can live in peace and harmony and nobody should bring the extremist religions here to provoke any unrest,” he said.

Dr Abu Sakara said the meeting would inform their extended members - Wangaras, Gonjas and Walas among others - that they were one because they came from the old Ghana empire and, therefore, could coexist peacefully.

Nana Yusif Fanyinama, the President of the Council of Wangara Chiefs in Ghana, said the meeting was to promote peace, unity, development and the way forward.

“The main objective is to look at our past, present, the way forward and how we can maintain the peace and unity we have.

The Wangaras have been in this country for a very long time even before the white man came,” he said.

He urged the Mendes to go back home and help with the development of the newly created Savanna Region, which was something they had long wished for. —GNA