Terrorism attacks: Exercise restraint in the face of provocation - Bawumia urges Muslims

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has urged the Muslim community in Wa not to react to provocation from persons suspected to be terrorists as that might result in grave consequences for the nation.

He urged them to rather report such characters to the security agencies for the appropriate action to be taken.

“Let us also exercise restraint in the face of provocation, for a lack of restraint would only feed into the destructive plans of these miscreants who seek to destroy in the name of religion,” said the Vice President.

He noted that Ghana does not want to fall victim to terrorists as is happening in other West African countries.

“We do not ever want this phenomenon to occur in our dear country Ghana. Whilst the security agencies work to keep all of us safe, I encourage you to report suspicious characters who come into our communities to take advantage of our well-acclaimed hospitality to unleash mayhem on our country”.

The Vice President who represented President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in Wa commended, Gregory Bangbeme and George Bonfodong, whose vigilance led to the timely detection and arrest of the suspect during a morning mass at Hamile.

“I applaud the vigilance of Gregory Bangbeme and George Bonfodong, members of the Roman Catholic Church in Hamile in the Upper West region who, together with church leaders, alerted the police about the presence in the church of an armed person who turned out to be a national of our neighbouring country of Burkina Faso. That person is in police custody,” he added.

The event also saw the Vice President recap government’s pledge to transform Muslim-dominated ghettoes in the country through a number of projects he said had been set up at the Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development.

“The provision of water systems, rehabilitation of school blocks and the building of new ones, provision of desks for Islamic schools and the rehabilitation of tertiary drains amongst many other projects will help resolve some of the many challenges that bedevil our zongo communities.

“The officers of the Zongo Development Fund, based on the many requests that have been received across the country, have already translated the commencement warrant into actionable projects and work on these various projects should begin soon. If these development initiatives would come to fruition, then we must maintain peace in our country. We are the envy of the world today when it comes to peaceful co-existence of different religious communities,” stated Dr Bawumia.

Bawumia is Ghana’s best Vice President so far— Chief Imam

Addressing the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers crowd, the Upper West Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Suleiman Bakuri, expressed profound joy as Dr Bawumia joined fellow Muslims in the Upper West region to observe the climax of the Ramadan period and, to some shouts of acclamation from a section of the crowd, the Chief Imam eulogised him as Ghana’s “best Vice President so far”.

“It is a pleasure to have in our midst today the renowned economist and the best Vice President of Ghana so far, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia— the most humble, the most peaceful. Ghana is proud of you, Doctor. Africa is proud of you. The IMF is proud of you,” remarked the Chief Imam.