MPs demand urgent efforts to address unending clashes in Bawku

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior is calling on the government to put effective measures in place to solve the ethnic clashes in Bawku.

Making the admonishment, a member of the Committee, Bawa Muhammad Braimah said the Committee will visit Bawku when Parliament returns from recess to ascertain the situation on the ground and try to find lasting solutions to the conflict which has led to the loss of lives and destruction of properties in the Bawku township and surrounding towns.

The conflict has so far recorded some 18 deaths.

The latest was an attack that occurred on December 18 at Sing-Naatin, a suburb in Bawku which subsequently resulted in the loss of 7 lives with several properties being destroyed by some unknown gunmen.

Mr. Braimah described the killings and never-ending attacks as “a worrisome situation” in which he said all parties and stakeholders must strive “to ensure that at least the conflict becomes a thing of the past.”

He said the Committee had scheduled to visit the town before Parliament went on recess but was unfortunately consumed by the need to scrutinise and approve the budgetary allocations to the various MMDAs which did not make the visit possible but assured it will be the first agenda the Committee will attend to once Parliament resumes.

“As the Defence and Interior Committee, we made efforts to visit the area to talk to the people but we couldn’t do it because of the budget vetting, but after Parliament resumes on the 24th of January 2023, the Committee will undertake a trip to Bawku to ensure that at least, we are able to find lasting solutions to the conflict that pervades in the area.”

In the meantime, he called on the government to use any resources and security establishments available to it to ensure there is calm in the area during the festive season.

“For now, we are calling on the Government to use all the security apparatus available to ensure there is calm in the area to protect life and property.”