Bimbilla: Residents wouldn't pay to maintain curfew

Bimbilla is the capital of the Nanumba North Municipality. The town is strategically located linking many major towns along the eastern corridor. The town is home to people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, the town suffered a lot of losses due to the over a decade old protracted chieftaincy conflict.

Some interventions have been made in the past in an attempt to mitigating the impact of the self-inflicted arm conflict. One of the interventions has always been the imposition of curfew on the town. Many residents are concerned as to whether the curfew imposed has in any way inched towards a resolution of the conflict since many heinous crimes are perpetrated during curfew hours. Theft cases and brutalities of residents are daily occurrences. Glory be to the Lord as residents of Bimbilla have not recorded rape cases yet.

In plain terms, the curfew imposed on Bimbilla is anti-development. It is both a lazy and callous way of solving the conflict in Bimbilla. Many residents also belief that officials use the curfew as canal to misappropriating funds at the assembly. Today, people who conduct their businesses from 6pm are completely out of business. This is really negatively impacting on the economy of the town and compounding the unemployment challenge among residents of the town.

The cost of the curfew to the taxpayer is unimaginable. Information gathered from the unofficial sources is that the municipal assembly is embarking on mass levy collection exercise from residents in the municipality. The purpose of the tax collection exercise, is allegedly to maintain the curfew. This if true, will be the highest show of incompetency on the part of officials at the assembly.

The truth is that, the curfew has no positive impact on residents. It rather brings untold hardships on the people. The previous administration adopted the same curfew but we expect the current administration to stop being lazy and wicked and think out realistic strategies to ending the conflict.

The residents will not be able to afford these taxes as they are being oppressed by the continuous imposition of curfew on the town.

I am quite convinced that residents would have queued to pay tax to the assembly if they were told to pay to facilitate the completion of the Bimbilla-Yendi road. The municipal hospital is only better than a CHIPS compound.

Let the officials at the assembly be told that we as residents have been oppressed for long. We are tire of the dawn to dusk curfew. It is high time the assembly became serious. I am very sure that officers at the assembly enjoy the curfew not only for the financial gains that it gives to them.

What is this? Both the Municipal Security Council and RESEC ‘foolishly’ thought that the lives of some people in Bimbilla are more important than the others. You set up and maintained security post at the residence of the ‘first class residents’. Why the curfew again and you think we should give you our hard-earned monies for you to continue oppressing us? Bierim be ni! I am sure some people would have spoken about this loot and share curfew if they were in opposition.

We are not aware of any curfew in Syria and Yemen where rockets are fired on hourly basis. The curfew on Bimbilla is heartless, inhumane and a lucrative source for corruptions.

Dear residents in Bimbilla, especially those of us who can access this article. Please for the freedom of we the oppressed share this information to the world. Explain it to fellow comrades who cannot read. Tell everyone that we are not against any individual or group. Let’s light the flame of freeing ourselves from the shackles of the heartless leaders in and outside Bimbilla. Say no to curfew!