Hundreds demonstrate in Karni over discrimination


Hundreds of people from the Karni traditional area in the Lambussie-Karni District of the Upper West Region have gone on a demonstration against what they described as gross show of discrimination and marginalization of people in the area. 

The people said they find it worrying that three weeks after some youth in Lambussie went on rampage and forcefully erased the name of Karni from the name of the district assembly’s billboards, vehicles and other official equipment nothing has been heard from the authorities that be. 

Addressing the people after the demonstration at Karni Alexis Doozuoh who spoke on behalf of the youth appealed to the president to amend the relevant legislative instrument to return the whole Karni traditional area to the Jirapa District. Lambussie-Karni District was created out of Jirapa in 2007. 

Though the Legislative Instrument establishing the District mentioned Lambussie as the name Lambussie-Karni is said to have been arrived at as a compromise. 
	
This was so because Karni traditional area which is part of the Lambussie-Karni District has been divided into two with part of it still aligned to Jirapa District. 

The name of the District remains so until March this year when a high court ruled that the name be reverted to Lambussie since that is what is in the L I. Some youth in Lambussie based on the ruling allegedly forcefully erased the name of Karni from the assembly’s billboards and vehicles. 

They also issued an ultimatum to the Regional Minster to within a week take steps to ensure that Karni’s name is removed from the assembly’s records. 

However, the youth of Karni say the act is a betrayal of the trust and unity between Lambussie and Karni. 

The spokesperson for the youth Alexis Doozuoh told the crowd that the attempted deletion of the name of Karni from the District Assemblies name is a stab in the back of people of Karni tradional area and a breach of trust which cemented the two communities. 

The youth have made a passionate appeal to the president to as a matter of urgency and in the interest of peace to amend the Legislative Instrument to return the Karni traditional area to Jirapa District. 

He said the most unlikely situation that the whole Karni traditional area is to aligned to the Lambussie-Karni District the joint name must be maintained. 

Mr. Doozuoh appealed to people in the area to continue to remain calm and not to engage in any violence and lawlessness.
 
GBC