Bawku Central Member of Parliament Mahama Ayariga has appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to compensate the people who were allegedly brutalized by soldiers in Bawku.
He says he expects a compensation package to be announced as part of the measures to bring the conflict situation in the area under control.
He said these during a debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA), in Parliament on Thursday February 29.
“I expect that with everything that has happened in Bawku, the people of Bawku have suffered military brutalities as a result of the activities of the military.
“As part of the measures the president is implementing to deal with the situation in Bawku, I expect that we will address the plight of those who have suffered military brutalities. People have been killed by soldiers, and I have petitioned institutions and made complaints and expect that these issues will also be addressed by the president,” he said.
Bawku has been in the news lately because unknown gunmen earlier fired into a group of people at the community center in the town on Wednesday, January 17, resulting in the death of two persons, while four others were injured.
The Member of Parliament for Bawku Mr Mahama Ayariga described the incident as dastardly and unacceptable.
Let’s show enough commitment to end Bawku conflict – Fuseini Issah
Mr Ayariga called on law enforcement agencies to act immediately to arrest and deal with the perpetrators.
Commenting on this matter earlier on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Thursday, January 18 with Alfred Ocansey, Mr Ayariga said “It is unfortunate that we continue to experience this situation that has caused so many lives to be lost, so many people to be injured and hospitalized and so much property to be lost in Bawku central constituency.
“…those who were killed yesterday, that was dastardly, that was unacceptable and the perpetrators must be searched for by the law enforcement agencies and dealt with.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said in the SONA on Tuesday February 27 that whilst the government was spending money, time, energy, and lives to keep the country safe from external dangers, the country continues to have so many chieftaincy and land disputes around the country, which tend to be breeding grounds for internal tensions and destabilization.
The president referred to the violent deadly conflict in Bawku.
He indicated that “the tragedy is not only that a thriving and dynamic town is being reduced to a wasteland of destruction and distrust, we are spending money and energy that would have been better spent on development needs of Bawku, providing security to keep brothers and sisters from killing each other.”
He said “Mr Speaker, what should concern all of us and not just the people of Bawku is that, in its current state, Bawku is an alluring magnet to mischief makers and extremists operating a few kilometres across from the border.”
In the bid to find a lasting solution to the conflict, he said, the gGovernment has, in the past year, undertaken a number of measures, including the establishment of a special Bawku Taskforce, and the intensification of engagements with the factions for the resolution of the chieftaincy dispute.
On the recommendation of the Upper East Regional and National Security Councils, he noted that, four radio stations, that have been broadcasting incendiary language and propagating hate speech, have been shut down by the National Communications Authority.
The Chief Justice has also recently established specialised Courts in Accra and in Kumasi to deal expeditiously with criminal matters emanating from the Bawku conflict, he said.
“Government is determined to do all it can to ensure there is security in every inch of the territory of our country, but it also is very much up to the citizens to help create the needed atmosphere, and I am, thus, appealing to all citizens to take the See Something, Say Something campaign of the Ministry of National Security very seriously,” Mr Akufo-Addo assured.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) explained the circumstances under which three persons who fired at its troops in Bawku were neutralized. The GAF said the act of neutralization occurred in retaliation to attack on its troops.
“…at about 2030 hrs on the same day {January 18}, own troops conducting night foot patrols around Hasania School at Sabongari were fired upon by 4 gunmen. Troops returned fire spontaneously neutralising 3 of the assailants. The fourth suspect managed to escape. Troops retrieved one AK-47 rifle loaded with 16 rounds of 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition. Ghana Police team arrived at the location subsequently to convey the deceased assailants to the morgue.”
This was contained in a press release dated January 18, signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Brigadier General E Aggrey-Quashie.
The press release added that, “It is instructive to note that directly engaging the military is a development that could result in fatal consequences, as troops will spare no opportunity to defend themselves as well as protect residents of Bawku. Therefore, factions in the Bawku conflict are cautioned against drawing the military into direct armed confrontation while efforts are undertaken to resolve the current impasse.”
The Ghana Armed Forces is “therefore imploring the support of all peace-loving Ghanaians, especially the good people of Bawku to facilitate the process of bringing lasting peace to the area and also to aid GAF and sister security agencies in de-escalating tension in the interest of peace, security and socioeconomic development of Bawku and the nation in general.”
The Minister for the Interior, by Executive Instrument, renewed the curfew hours imposed on Bawku Municipality and its environs in the Upper East Region from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am effective Friday, January 12, 2024.
The government called on Chiefs, Elders, Opinion Leaders, Youth and people of the area to exercise restraint in the face of the challenges confronting them as well as to use non-violent means to channel their energies into ensuring peace.
Meanwhile, there is a total ban on all persons in the afore-mentioned communities and their environs from carrying arms, ammunition or any offensive weapon and any persons found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted.