Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, the Overlord of the Wala Traditional Council, in partnership with the Youth Placement for Employability Solutions (Y-PES) Ghana, has launched a peace campaign aimed at promoting peace in the area.

The “Wa Naa Youth for Peace Declaration (Pack)” is also meant to seek the commitment and declaration of young people within the traditional area towards peace ahead of the 2024 general election by signing the Wa Naa youth peace pact.

As part of the initiative, the traditional council would engage students in all Senior High Schools and youth camps within the traditional area, and sensitise them on the need to prioritise peace before, during and after the Election 2024.

Speaking at the peace campaign launch at the Wa Senior High Technical School (WASECTECH) at the weekend, Naa Naatasung Jaafar Pelpuo, the Chief of Biihee, who represented the Wa Naa, emphasised the crucial role peace played in the development of every society and the nation.

He advised the young people not to engage in acts and activities that would affect the nation’s peace since peace was also necessary for their personal development and the realisation of their life aspirations.

Naa Pelpuo mentioned cheating, envy and intolerance for others’ views as breeders of violence in society, which the youth must eschew at all times.

“What you don’t want people to do you, don’t also do to others; and that is how we can have peace,” he said.

Mr Sulemana Mumuni, the Executive Director of Y-PES Ghana, encouraged young people to promote peace in the country because there was no place for them to run to in the event of violence.

“You have to stay focused and know that our weapon here in the north is education”, he admonished the students.

Mr Mumuni cited the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, former President John Mahama and the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as examples of people from the North who excelled through education.

He urged young people to respect divergent views, political and religious ideologies as the election inches closer and to accept the outcome of the election results for the sake of Ghana’s peace.

“If you believe in somebody’s ideology does not mean you should force somebody to also believe in what you believe in.

“Allow people to believe in what they think is right. That is the basis of promoting peace”, he stated.

Mr Ismail Salih, the Headmaster of WASECTECH, commended Wa Naa for the initiative and suggested that it should be replicated by other traditional leaders as it would help maintain peace during this election season.

He said the youth were “hot-blooded” and could easily be used to foment trouble hence engaging them to understand the importance of peace and to pledge to peace would reduce their vulnerability to being enticed to perpetuate violence.