So, gunmen continue to fight, kill and harvest blood, death and cleansing fire in Bawku and its environs at the cost of ten (10) million cedis a month which Ken Ofori-Atta spends on the Bawku Security Agents?
Oh! The gunmen and other citizens of Bawku are not aware that Ken Ofori-Atta spends ten (10) millions cedis a month on the Security Agents whilst they kill and main each other and other citizens?
The gunmen and other citizens of Bawku can request their Member of Parliament to file an urgent question to find out from Ken Ofori-Atta the amount he spends every month on the Bawku Security Agents!!
Do the gunmen and other citizens of Bawku consider what ten (10) million cedis a month can be used for to promote development, progress and prosperity in Gingande, Habitat, Mazeima, Sabon Zongo, South Natinga, North Natinga, Patilime, Kplore, Siliminaba, Goziese, Possum, Azanga, Bawkzua, Daduri, Baribari etc.?
Have the gunmen and other citizens of Bawku seen how wretched and deprived their Primary, JHS and SHS infrastructure and facilities look?
Have the gunmen and other citizens of Bawku noticed the wretchedness of their access roads, drainage systems and other infrastructure?
Have the gunmen and other citizens of Bawku noticed that there are not many identifiable employment opportunities in Bawku and its environs?
Have the gunmen and other citizens of Bawku noticed that prominent businesses, as well as professionals like teachers and medical personnel have relocated from Bawku?
Instead of fighting and killing each other why don’t the gunmen silence their guns and join forces with other citizens of Bawku to fight their underdevelopment, poverty, social degradation and retrogression?
Have citizens of Bawku (home and abroad) and fellow Ghanaians wondered how such poor, deprived, illiterate, semi-illiterate gunmen who could hardly afford a meal a day could acquire and possess AK 47 assault rifles, M.16 and G3 rifles, Taurus T. 4 rifles and Berata pistols?
Who has been funding, supplying, and continually smuggling such lethal weapons to the Bawku gunmen?
It is common knowledge that there is an awful lot of dark arts of politics at play and the chieftaincy conflict is used as a vehicle for it.
Terrorists threats are real
Bawku is becoming a weak link in Ghana’s Security Architecture.The chaos ought to be resolved before terrorists take advantage, because terrorists’ incursion into Bawku will have dire consequences for Ghana.
Ghanaians out to be concerned that the activities of Bawku gunmen invariably distract the Military from its core mandate of protecting the country’s borders and deterring and countering TAGs and other cross border criminals!
Over the past few weeks, the Military has ceded static patrol of the central traffic light and Daduri Goil Fuel station to the Police and focussed attention on patrols in the suburbs, outskirts and border communities.
On 16th and 17th January, 2023, when the Burkina Faso Military flushed out Jihadists at Zoaga, Ayelbisi, Abugri and Zakize communities near the Burkina Faso/Ghana border, there was an influx of over 2, 225 Burkinabes into Ghana.
The Bawku gunmen and other citizens ought to know that the Bawku Naba on 23rd January, 2023, donated 100 bags of rice, 2 bags of maize and a quantity of used clothing to be distributed to Burkinabes who fled to communities in the Kusaug Traditional Area.
The District NADMO Director liaised with the Chiefs to apportion the items to the targetted persons in the following communities: Galaka, Googo, Komaka, Sapeliga, Tilli, Lamboya, Gumbare, Kikurugu, Zebilla, Teshie, Soogo, Widnaba, and Kasongo.
Jihadists threats across the border continue to impact traders and haulage trucks and customs operations at Kulungugu and beyond.
Sources close to Burkina Faso Customs (la Douane) said that Jihadists blocked the road and waylaid la Doaune officials between KANYIRI and BITTOU on 24th January, 2023. They managed to capture some of the Burkinabe Customs officials.
Kanyiri is a Burkina Faso Customs post from Kulungugu (some 20 to 30km distance).
The Burkina Faso Customs Authorities directed the withdrawal and relocation of all Customs activities from Kanyiri to Bittou with immediate effect.
Other reports from Burkina Faso Douane (Customs) officials indicated that Jihadists on 9th February, 2023, blocked the road between Kulungugu and Kanyiri.
The Jihadists reportedly stopped articulator trucks loaded with goods from Kulungugu which were transiting through Burkina Faso to Niger. According to the reports, the Jihadists commandeered two of the trucks into the bush between Kanyiri and Bittou and offloaded the goods.
Gradually, the actions of Bawku gunmen are creating the tinderbox for the flares of Terrorists Armed Groups which will likely become a National Security nightmare.
The Bawku gunmen must silence their guns now before the terrorists strike!!
Owula Mangortey
Bawku
12th February, 2023