The government has, in the past year, undertaken a number of measures including the establishment of a special Taskforce to engage with the factions for the resolution of the Bawku chieftaincy dispute, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced.
Addressing the nation for his penultimate State of the Nation Address on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, the President said, “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.”
“…Mr Speaker, I must make special mention of the troubles in Bawku. 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 3 energy that would have been better spent on development needs of Bawku, providing security to keep brothers and sisters from killing each other” the President lamented.
Nana Akufo-Addo stated, “Whilst we are spending money, time, energy and lives keeping the country safe from external dangers, I must add that it is a matter of great concern that we continue to have so many chieftaincy and land disputes around the country, which tend to be breeding grounds for internal tensions and destabilisation.”
He disclosed on the recommendation of the Upper East Regional and National Security Councils, four radio stations, that have been broadcasting incendiary language and propagating hate speech, have been shut down by the National Communications Authority.
The President mentioned specialized courts have been established by the Chief Justice in Accra and Kumasi to deal expeditiously with criminal matters emanating from the Bawku conflict.
“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” he appealed.
