Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Consign Bawku conflict to history

On Wednesday, last week, news broke that a new Naba (para­mount chief) of Bawku had been enskinned, even though there is already a Bawku Naba in the person of Zug-Ran Naba Asigri Abugrago Azorka II.

In no time, the Government condemned the act reported to have taken place at the palace of the Nayiri (Overlord) of Mamprugu, Naa Bohugu Ma­hami Sheriga II, and ordered the arrest and prosecution of those involved in it.

Going by an arrest warrant issued by the Bolgatanga High Court One, 50 armed soldiers from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) stormed the palace of the Nayiri of Mamprugu in Naleriegu, the capital of the North East Region, at about 3a.m. on Monday, to arrest the Nayiri and the newly-installed Bawku Naba (from the Mam­prusi faction), Naa Sulemana Abagre.

However, a good number of the youth of the area resist­ed the move by the security personnel and succeeded in preventing the soldiers from arresting the Mam­prugu Overlord and the newly-enskinned Bawku Naba.

The Ghanaian Times thinks that if the current developments are not handled tactfully, there could be an escalation of the Bawku conflict, which has so far claimed lives, destroyed livelihoods and property, and displaced some people.

As we always say, this conflict has also caused the State to expend on its human, financial and material resources which otherwise could have been used to advance national development, yet it is as if such an important issue does not matter.

We wish we could stop making comments about the Bawku conflict but we cannot because today’s world is such that what­ever happens anywhere affects people everywhere and not only those at the centre of such a happen­ing.

For instance, who ever thought that Rus­sia-Ukraine war would affect the whole world in a way?

Today, the world is suf­fering food crisis, particu­larly with regard to grains, because of this war.

We put out comments about the Bawku chief­taincy conflict because of how it is undermining the development of the place and how it impacts the whole country.

Whatever stance we take anytime we com­ment about the conflict is meant for its peaceful resolution.

We may be miscon­strued and misinterpreted, but we mean well.

We wish the conflict had ended so that it could be consigned to history rather than the current situation where residents of the area and the whole nation are on tenterhooks because they do not know what would happen next.

Naturally, there are solu­tions to all problems; the snag has to do with en­trenched positions.

We, therefore, appeal to the factions in the conflict to ease all entrenched positions, deflate all emotions and deal with the issues.

Some of the sacrifices would be difficult to make but they should be for the sake of peace and tranquility of the Bawku area and Gha­na as a whole.

Such a situation would help to resolve the conflict and bring honour to the parties involved and the nation as a whole.

It should be the case that the next generations of Ku­sasis and Mamprusis would come and read or hear about the conflict as a historical narration and not a reality they have been caught up in.