In March 2002, when members of the Abudu and Andani families of Dagbon in northern Ghana got themselves into conflict over a long standing protracted chieftaincy crisis, certain ministers of the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) were asked to resign. They were calls from all directions to those ministers of state who were Dagombas and belonged to one of the factions in the conflict to resign for their allege role of complicity in events leading to the crisis in that part of the country.
In the midst of the mounting calls for the resignations of those ministers, Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu who was the minister of the Interior and also a member of parliament for Yendi where the crisis started announced his resignation over those allegations of complicity. In his statement to the media he indicated among other things that, as the minister of the Interior who was responsible for domestic security in the country, it was unfair for him to still be at post especially as allegations of complicity were been made against him.
The then national Security Coordinator Mr Joshua Hamidu, who was also accused, announced his resignation. Also the northern regional minister Mr Imoro Andani was also forced out of office over his alleged commissions and omissions that led to the crisis.
Then seven years on in Bawku in the upper East region of Ghana, an ethnic conflict between Kusasis and Mamprusis started. There were renewed clashes of the conflict on the 5th September, 2009 in which six persons were reportedly killed. As a result of the conflict a curfew was imposed requesting the people to stay indoors from 1pm to 6.30am. The limited hours that the people of Bawku were given to stay outside and to sleep, portend the seriousness of the situation on the ground.
And then on the 7th September, 2009 the member of parliament of Bawku Central Mr Adamu Dramani in an interview on joyfm called for the resignation of the minister of the interior Mr Cletus Avoka who is also a member of parliament for Zebila and also a member of one of the tribes in the conflict.
According to Joyfm news “Mr Dramani said the latest violence in Bawku, which led to the death of six persons over the weekend, could have been averted if the Interior minister had acted on several alerts and warnings given him”- Joynews 7/09/09.
From the interview of the Bawku Central Member of Parliament it is clear that the minister of the interior Mr Avoka was being accused of complicity in the events that led to the death of the six persons with tension in the area still on highest alert.
Aside the allegations of complicity against Mr Avoka, there are other factors which weight negatively against him for which reason I think calls for his resignation is in the very right direction if lasting peace is to be attained in the area. Let me attempt an explanation since to me there are more reasons for Mr Avoka to resign than they are for him to continue to stay at post as the Minister of the interior.
Firstly the Interior Minister Mr Avoka belongs to one of the tribes in the conflict. Common sense demands that, he resigns honourably. This is so because there is no way that, the other faction is ever going to trust his neutrality as the man in charge of the domestic security of the country. Since that ministry is not his Non governmental Organisation (NGO) I suggest that he should either be reassigned or resign respectfully to help forestall peace to his people and his area.
Secondly, Mr Avoka was a lawyer to one of the factions in the conflict until he became the minister of the interior, it is only natural to assume without admitting that this does not put him in a very comfortable position to win the confidence and trust of the people in relation to the attainment of peace in the area.
The third reason is that, when he was appointed as minister for the Interior doubts were being raise against him in relation to how he could bring about lasting peace to the area especially belonging to one of the tribes. When the issue popped up during his vetting by parliament he gave the assurance that, he would do his very best to bring about peace, unity, and reconciliation to his people.
It is rather unfortunate that, the very man who promised peace, and to stand by his people in their time of conflict was all over the radio talking rudely and arrogantly. Hear what Mr Avoka had to say in the face of conflicts in his own backyard “I am not a magician” “Am I the commander to rush to the place.” With all respect, the minister communicated very poorly here, especially when it was making the rounds that majority of those who have died since the conflict started belongs to the other tribe. It must be added that, a Corporal Sammy who was mentioned by the Bawku Central MP to have pumped live bullets into the head of one of the six persons who was killed in front of his family is still not arrested as of the time of writing this article.
Is it not very said that, the minister of the interior who has oversight responsibilities over the security would say he was not a commander to come to the help of his own people in conflict? To this I say to Mr Avoka, no sir!
The fact remains incontrovertible as long as Mr Avoka remains the Interior minister there will not be peace in the area. The current mistrust will only get worse. This is because the other tribe is of the view that, he is manipulating the security agencies in his capacity as the Interior minister against them.
In the light of the explanations given above, I did like to call on the President, Professor John Evans Attah Mills to as a matter of excessive and extreme urgency reassign Minister Avoka. On the other hand Mr Avoka must do the honourable thing by voluntarily resigning in the wake of allegations of complicity against him to pave way for independent investigations into those allegations.
Akilu Sayibu, UK. Email: Akilu.sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk
