Commission to investigate Bawku conflict

The government is to set up a high-powered commission to investigate the protracted Bawku ethnic conflict in a bid to finding a lasting solution to it, the Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor announced when he led a government delegation to Bawku on Tuesday to assess the extent of damage.

The trip was also to prevail on the people to use dialogue, rather than arms, to resolve their differences. The delegation met the Bawku Naba, Abugrago Azoka II and his people and the Mamprusi Opinion Leaders separately.

Other members of the delegation included the Minister of the Interior, Alhaji Malik Alhassan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Minister of Tourism, Ms Hawa Yakubu and the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Ms Theresa Tagoe.

The rest were the Army Commander, Lt. General Yachie and Inspector General of Police, Mr Ernest Osei-Poku. Dr Addo-Kufuor said until an appropriate political solution was found the military would continue to be in Bawku for as long as it was necessary.

He said some people had always assumed that a democratic government was not strong enough to restore law and order and warned that ''anybody who makes the assumption would be making a dangerous mistake".

"If anybody takes the law into his own hands to undermine the security of the country, we would go at all length to get the person to ensure that peace-loving people live in peace. "The Government of Ghana is strong enough to defend all the people of Ghana."

Dr Addo-Kufuor said the conflict in Bawku was not a local one, as it was being perceived, because it tarnished the image of Ghana and scared investors away.

He, therefore, appealed to the chiefs and opinion leaders in Bawku to work closely with their people to ensure that peace returned to Bawku.

The Defence Minister also appealed to those still in possession of arms and ammunition to give them up in order to restore permanent peace in the area.

Alhaji Alhasssan said a few people responded to the government's moratorium to surrender their weapons, stressing that the government would ensure that all illegal weapons were retrieved.

He presented 200 bags of rice, 300 buckets, 25 cartons of cooking oil, 50 packets of roofing sheets, 500 mattresses and 500 blankets to the security personnel deployed at Bawku.

Nana Akufo-Addo said the biggest problem facing the government was how to find jobs for the youth irrespective of ethnic origin and it was, therefore, regrettable that the youth were using their energies to kill one another.

He urged the chiefs and elders to counsel the youth that, "life is better than death" and "all should make sure that all our lives go forward".

Naba Azoka appealed to the government to prevail on the Bawku Mamprusis to recognise him as the legitimate chief of Bawku.