Task Force To Bawku In The Upper East Region Will Not Solve Any Issue_ Assembly Man

The Assembly Member for Missiga Electoral Area, Mr Paul Musah, has stated that the deployment of a special task force to Bawku in the Upper East Region will not solve any issue as far as the conflict is concerned.

Rather, he was of the view that the Government should tackle the issues from the grassroots and ensure that the law works.

His comments follow plans by the Ministry of National Security, in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces and other relevant security institutions, to deploy a special task force to areas within the municipality identified as hot spots of violence.

There has been heightened violence in the Bawku Municipality, between Mamprusi and Kusasi groups, following the enskinment of a rival Bawku Chief on February 15, 2023.

While concerns have been raised over the seeming ineffectiveness of ongoing efforts to address the security situation in the area, the key actors within the country’s security architecture remain hopeful that peace would be restored to the Bawku Municipality.

Speaking about this on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Ama Gyenfa Ofosu Darkwa, Mr Paul Musah, “The Deployment of soldiers will not help. It is not going to help because this is a security and security issue is not about security alone, because there is something under. That is publicly known as Chieftaincy issues.”

He continued, “The President has come out to say that it is criminal and that they are not aware that Mamprusis are Chiefs but are only aware of Kusasi’s who have the paramountcy and the legitimacy and the custodians of the land. The President has said something like that, the National House of Chiefs has said something like that, the Regional House of Chiefs has mentioned that, then the Supreme Court, which is the Highest court of Ghana also made mention of that but some few people in the middle are worrying the entire people in Bawku.
“It is now left with Government to put measures, let the Law really work on those disagreeing with the law, so that whoever has an opposition to the law will go to the main court, but you do not get up with weapons and start attacking people.”

Mr Paul Musah said just yesterday gunmen killed about six people in his electoral area.

According to him, every night, about two or three persons are killed despite the presence of security personnel.

He said the Government was only punishing the security personnel, adding that they are just putting pressure and unnecessary punishment on the security personnel by sending them there.

“The security personnel are only to maintain peace, make sure there is peace but there cannot be peace when the law enforcement is not there, when there is no justice,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Assembly member said the Government seemed to massage the issues due to the people involved, suggesting that the perpetrators should be arrested and made to face the law, irrespective of who they are and their following.