The Ministry for Interior has reviewed the curfew placed on Bawku municipality and its environs in the Upper East Region from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am effective, today, December 1, 2021.
Contained in a statement signed by the minister for interior, Ambrose Dery, it revealed that the decision was made based on the advice of the Upper East Regional Security Council and by Executive Instrument. It explained that the review of the curfew had been as a result of “threat of improvement” in the security situation in the communities concerned.
In lieu of this, government has called on the chiefs, elders, opinion Leaders, youth and people of the area to “exercise restraint in the face of the challenges confronting them as well as to use non-violent means to channel their energies into ensuring peace”.
“Meanwhile, there is a total ban on all persons in the aforementioned communities and its environs from carrying arms, ammunition or any offensive weapon and any persons found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted”.
Mr Ambrose Dery
Summon feuding factions to presidency
Following the imposition of the first curfew in Bawku municipality, a Private Legal Practitioner, Kwame Jantuah, called on President Akufo-Addo to summon feuding factions in the Bawku disturbances to the Presidency. He expressed concern that individuals who desire to cause any kind of mayhem may use the situation to sow seeds of discord in the area.
Kwame Jantuah noted that the Bawku situation stems from colonialism, politics, chieftaincy and there is the need to get to the root cause and “find lasting solutions to the challenges of Bawku”.
“The question of porous borders, the challenging thing about conflict in border towns gives the chance for such things to happen, given that Boko Haram is active. [In] the era of Rawlings, curfew shaped people’s lifestyles. It really dampened a lot of things and we’re getting into a festive season. People in Bawku will want to be able to work and earn a living”.
Kwame Jantuah
Kwame Jantuah noted that there must be some level of responsibility on the Head of State to make sure he is “monitoring” despite having people in place to cater to such demands.
“I’m sure by now his people are briefing him. Sometimes with situations like Bawku, the President needs to talk to them. Sometimes the silent-ness of things like these don’t help”.
Kwame Jantuah
On his part, a Security Analyst, Adam Bonaa, urged government station a K9 Security Unit at the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East Region to check the proliferation of arms in the area. He disclosed that in addition to stationing K9 in the area, security agencies must give some training on intelligence gathering to the market women, farmers and traders to help with information on suspicious characters.
The security analyst explained that most of the weapons are not manufactured in Bawku rather they are brought in from neighbouring areas.
The initial time for the curfew was from 4:00 pm to 6:00 am and that commenced on Wednesday, November 24, 2021.
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