A Joint Committee of the Defence and Interior, Security and Intelligence of Parliament has held a closed-session meeting with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, and the Ministers for Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, and Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, to address recent security concerns in Ablekuma North and Bawku.

The meeting, held on Friday, July 18, 2025, focused on the violent incidents during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun and the escalating Bawku conflict.

Speaking at a press conference following the engagement, James Agalga, Chair of the Defence and Interior Committee, highlighted the committee’s oversight role in ensuring state security agencies restore safety.

He noted that the Bawku conflict has resulted in loss of lives along the Bolgatanga-Bawku and Walewale-Tamale highways, prompting the committees to seek assurances on measures to secure these routes.

“Several people have lost their lives along the Bolgatanga-Bawku highway and the Walewale-Tamale highway as a result of the Bawku conflict,” he stated.

The Ablekuma North rerun, held on July 11, 2025, across 19 polling stations to resolve disputes from the December 2024 general elections, was marred by violence, including assaults on former MP Mavis Hawa Koomson, NPP candidate Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, and journalists.

A police officer captured on video assaulting GHOne TV reporter Kwabena Agyekum Banahene has been interdicted and faces criminal charges, according to the Accra Regional Police Command. Agalga revealed that the IGP and ministers assured the committees that viral videos are being reviewed to identify and prosecute perpetrators.

“In due course, the perpetrators would be arrested and dealt with in accordance with law,” he said.

Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings, Chair of the Security and Intelligence Committee, emphasised the national security implications of the Bawku conflict, particularly its spillover effects along Ghana’s northern border.

She noted that measures are being implemented to contain the situation and establish a lasting peace process. Regarding Ablekuma North, she stressed the need to learn from the violence to prevent recurrence in future elections, such as the upcoming Akwetia by-election.

John Ntim Fordjour, Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, underscored the committee’s bipartisan approach to resolving the Bawku conflict, urging feuding parties to support ongoing mediation efforts to address the underlying chieftaincy dispute.

On Ablekuma North, he condemned the violence against journalists and civilians, stating, “We’ve condemned all those acts of violence, and we have obtained assurances that the right actions of justice will be served.”

He added that the committees received firm assurances from the IGP for enhanced security measures to ensure peaceful elections in Akwetia.

When questioned about timelines for concluding investigations into the Ablekuma North violence, Agalga said no specific timeframe was provided, but the committees directed security agencies to act expeditiously and would summon them for updates as needed.

Ntim Fordjour confirmed that measures are being put in place to ensure free and fair by-elections in Akwetia, with ongoing oversight by the joint committees.

GA