State must meet Bawku 'fighters' with 'fire' - Kwesi Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has said government must be serious in tackling the "total lawlessness and recklessness" of the youth in Bawku in their longstanding Chieftaincy conflict.

"Some of these disputes doesn't make sense . . . what is that? When you say they say tradition, as if tradition is a permanent feature of life . . . it is so annoying," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi during a discussion on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme.

"We deal with them in their own terms . . . we can't have this forever, everyday people are dying and getting injured, it must come to an end. That is how state power is supposed to be used to settle matters once and for all . . ." he said in response to how to deal with the Bawku situation.

According to him such crime perpetrators must be charged with murder when they commit such atrocities.

"I don't understand this . . . If we charge some of these people for murder may be we will be a little relieved," he added.

"Total lawlessness and recklessness," he fumed.

Youth Attacks

Some youth have attacked a police station at Nalerigu in the North East Region.

Reports say the youth were not happy with an attempt by the security agencies to arrest some chiefs in the area in relation to last week’s enskinment of a new Bawku Naba.

This has created some tension in the Mamprugu Traditional Area in the North East Region as the youth are fiercely resisting attempts by the security agencies to allegedly arrest the Overlord of the Mamprugu, Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga II and a purportedly new Bawku Naba, Alhaji Seidu Abagre.

The attempt by the soldiers followed a warrant issued by a High Court in Bolgatanga for the arrest of the two traditional leaders for their involvement in the enskinment of a new chief for Bawku on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

The youth had taken over the palaces of the two chiefs, leading to a standoff and subsequent retreat by the soldiers.

Subsequently, they vandalised the police station and a New Patriotic Party (NPP) office in the town.

Demonstration

Following the incident, the youth on Monday blocked all major roads in the area and burnt lorry tyres to register their displeasure at the action of the security personnel.

They had blocked the Walewale section of the main Tamale-Bolgatanga highway which created a heavy vehicular traffic on the busy ECOWAS trunk road.

Attempts by the police to control the situation proved futile as they were chased away by the aggrieved youth.

Subsequently, they vandalised the police station and a New Patriotic Party (NPP) office in the town.

Purported Enskinment

On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, the Overlord of Mamprugu enskinned a new Bawku Naba despite the recognition of Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as the legitimate ruler of the area.

The enskinment of Alhaji Seidu Abagre as the new chief for the Bawku Traditional area, raised concerns over a possible escalation of the conflict in the area.

The action of the Nayiri, who is the kingmaker for Mamprugu, Bawku and other areas in the Upper East Region, is considered a disregard for the current Bawku Naba and could lead to more problems in the conflict-prone town.