The National Media Commission (NMC) has called on journalists to actively promote peace and stability in Bawku, where conflicts have impacted the community’s safety and development.
NMC Chair Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo highlighted that media practitioners should focus on peace-building in their reporting, as their influence can either escalate tensions or aid reconciliation.
Speaking to journalists at a training workshop in the Ashanti Region, Ayeboafo emphasized the media’s role in shaping public perception and fostering peaceful coexistence.
“Any issue anywhere in Ghana affects us all. We can’t sit in Kumasi or Accra and assume we’re unaffected,” he said.
Given the Bolgatanga-Walewale road, how can anyone suggest people can be killed? Will you avoid Bolgatanga because of the Bawku conflict? When will you become a victim?
The workshop for journalists across the region aimed to teach conflict-sensitive reporting skills, highlighting the role of media in promoting dialogue and understanding rather than division.
Ayeboafo called on media outlets to work with local leaders, peace advocates, and other stakeholders for balanced coverage, emphasizing unity and community well-being in Bawku and beyond.
The recent violence surge follows Seidu Abagre’s return, a rival chief installed by the Nayiri, who was in exile after an arrest warrant in February 2023 for his contested installation as chief in Nalerigu.
A High Court in Kumasi overturned the warrant on October 17, 2024, allowing Abagre’s return.
His arrival in Bawku on October 26 reignited a chieftaincy dispute, leading to gunfire exchanges that initially left two people dead and several injured.
SOURCE :OSEI –TUTU ESTHER KUMAH
