Government thus has given a directive for the new chief of Bawku to be arrested. The chief was described by government as illegal and a threat to national security. The new chief’s enskinment was conducted at Nalerigu, amiss the heavy security presence.
An attempt by the Regional Minister and the Police service to prevent it from taking place was not successful. The regional minister and the Nayiri of the Bawku Area sat down to discuss the prevention of any problems with government, and then putting a stop to the enskinment but the Nayiri said it was too late at that moment to put a stop to the enskinment and as such, it needed to be seen through to the end.
The people of Bawku gathered around, hooted at the Minister as he was leaving the premises and they claimed that not even government could stop them from doing what their heart desires. They also said that nobody can stop them from taking their new chief home to his palace.
Government has declared the enskinment of the new chief as null and void and as such the ball has been thrown into the courts of the police to perform their job as is expected of them.
Cletus Avoka And Others Speak On The Matter
The installation of the new rival chief has however been condemned by a bipartisan group of MP’s led by Zebilla MP; Cletus Avoka.
“We are very happy that they have issued a statement to condemn the act, but that is not enough. It is not enough to condemn the act. It should go further than that and show that the fellow does not act as a chief. That is important. Not words alone, but action by government. There is one chief respected by law and that should be respected by everybody under this constitution and dispensation.
“So, government should not only condemn it but make sure that it doesn’t work. They should not allow any rival chief to exist in Bawku. That cannot be tolerated. I am very much surprised that this incident couldn’t have been nibbed in the bud, that it couldn’t have been prevented. You all know that prevention is better than cure.”
Cletus Avoka
Cletus Avoka also stated that it is a known fact that there were enough men on the ground and this could have been averted, so he is shocked it was not prevented. He said he is still confident that the government of the day will make sure that there are no rival chiefs in Bawku.
A security analyst, Adam Bona says the move by government to ensure that the rival chief is apprehended is a crucial move but urged government to nib the Bawku situation in the Bud.
“Going at what government has said, I’m expecting them to take immediate action and make sure that the bloodshed that the guys in Bawku and its surrounding areas have threatened, never takes place. Whomever has been enskinned, if they find him and it would bring peace to Bawku, they should do that. I mean, I am all for it, because at the end of the day, we cannot watch whiles Bawku deteriorates.”
Adam Bona
Another security analyst, Rtd. Colonel Festus Aboagye, also says the country should be spared of more violence in the enskinment of the new Bawku chief by the Mamprusi. Speaking on the A.M show, the retired military personnel said the state cannot claim ignorance of the enskinment in Nalerigu with all the apparatus of intelligence at their disposal.
“All of us are looking at the pictures. The princes and people who had assembled at Nalerigu were invited. So definitely, the way conversations about this event which took place yesterday, if the government did not have its ears on the ground like we say in Akan, that is an intelligence failure.
“You could also use conspiracy theory to suggest that the government was doing something without necessarily engaging in it. You can’t say that government did not know about this enskinment with the current situation in Bawku now. So, you swiftly and in accordance with the law reverse this situation.”
Rtd. Colonel Festus Aboagye
The security analyst claimed that it was going to be very difficult, we should expect that the Mamprusi youth that are being seen now are bent on making sure that the newly enskinned Naaba stays on the skin. He said he cannot imagine the day when the chief arrives in Bawku, whether in the east or west, because this conflict was going to get messier.
Member of parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, says government must back words with actions.
“Whatever happened is clearly illegal. It was practically impossible to enforce because the government statement was clear about its illegality. What I would say is that the government must back its words with actions. Government does not recognize what happened as legal, the house of chiefs will not recognize it and the Supreme Court also does not recognize it.
“So it is reduced to simple law enforcement and the President has issued a statement that those involved in this act, the police should go after them. So everybody is watching to see if government is true to its words and whether the law enforcement will stick to its actions.”
Mahama Ayariga
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