Government urges feuding factions in Bawku to choose peace
The government has advised feuding parties involved in the Bawku tensions to settle their differences for peace to prevail in the area.
It also called on the leaders to be mindful of their words and pronouncements that would in any way escalate the tensions in the Bawku township.
A statement from the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs indicated that “the security agencies have been authorized to take all necessary steps to ensure law and order are fully enforced”.
Persons who do not adhere to the peace efforts in the community will be “brought to book”, the Ministry’s statement added.
A renewed chieftaincy clash in Bawku on Monday, December 27 2021 led to the loss of lives and the destruction of property.
Initially, there have been sporadic shootings in parts of the town following attempts to perform final funeral rites for a Chief who died about 41 years ago.
This resulted in a curfew being placed on the entire township and a ban on smock wearing. But unfortunately, this has not stopped the shootings, as one was reported at the beginning of this week.
According to the government statement, the matter of the Paramount Chief in Bawku has been settled by the Supreme Court in April 2003.
As such, claims that Bawku does not have an overlord and attempts to install a new Bawku Naa run contrary to the already determined position by the Supreme Court.
“It is our expectation that all parties will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court and let peace prevail in Bawku. Government is resolved to ensure that persons holding offices legitimately are not inhibited from performing their roles and functions.”
“All are strongly advised to respect the position of the law and act accordingly”, the statement cautioned.
However, the lawmaker for the Bawku Central constituency, Mahama Ayariga is not impressed with the work of the country’s security agencies over the renewed clashes in Bawku.
Though there is a heavy security presence in the community, the lawmaker believes the inability of the Police to arrest known persons involved in the shootings is to account for the problem.
“I think that the security agencies have disappointed [us] a bit because many of the people fomenting the trouble have done so on social media and for quite a while now, the activities of people on social media have been known and steps were not taken to prevent those activities that have led to an escalation of the issue. So I think that security agencies must be a bit more pre-emptive to be able to stop these things and avoid the situation that we find ourselves.”
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
