Before I write anything on the subject of Bawku and the situation
prevailing in that part of the country permit me to salute the chief and
good people of Bawku and its environs. It has been some time now when the
township has remained calm after the storm. My article is not to apportion
blame to any one or group of people rather it is an exhortation to my
brothers and sisters to kindle the peace that has been prevailing for a
long time now.
To begin with, it is an incontrovertible
fact that many decent Ghanaians trace their origin to that part of the
country and Bawku is noted for its strategic location in terms of doing
business and any man on the street will attest to the fact that inhabitants
of Bawku are noted for their rich life styles, viz their buildings, cars
they drive on the streets, their mode of dressing etc. All these gains for
the past five years have been left to the mercy of the conflict. There are
many erudite scholars who have written copiously on the conflict and its
impact on life and property, mine is just a hue and cry to my beloved
brothers and sisters that it is a time to reflect since our dos and don’ts
has fuelled many evils to invade our homeland and take control of our past,
present and the future. The past has been gloomy to a vast extend that,
weapons of mass destruction quickly found their way into the town by
unscrupulous people who cash in on the plight of the people. Poverty and
disease also crept in and my compatriots could be seen everywhere sitting
melancholically and cooling it off in idleness. Thanks to the NHIS, the
choking of the hospitals both public and private has earned private health
centres phantasmagorical fortunes. Education they say start from the cradle
to the grave, all of us are in a learning world. But I honestly believe
that there are some people who refuse to learn the bitter lessons of life.
Due to our obstinate persistence in resuscitating the conflict anytime it’s
nipped in the bud, presently, educated persons who hail from Bawku are
victimised in terms of jobs and vacancies in higher learning institutions
on the grounds that they are strong-hearted sometimes branded as the devils
incarnate. Clearly the future is very gloomy considering the current
situation, and no wonder the business-inclined citizens of the town have
largely migrated to all parts of the country leaving the town dormant. Our
children are at risk of being violent toward each other and their fellow
children elsewhere and will they ever grow out of it? All these have led me
and many others to arrive at the inevitable conclusion that we have a
SPIRITUAL issue at stake. It is not the issue of Kusasis against Mamprusis,
or whoever against whatever but that an evil spirit has taken as in bondage
thereby using us for its Dracula needs. I therefore call on religious
leaders and everybody who matters from the Christian and the Moslem
denomination not to relent, even for a second, in offering incessant
prayers day, noon and night on this spiritual battle. Hence people should
desist from politicizing, trivializing, and name calling. I personally want
to invite all Churches to develop an immense interest in considering
extending branches to Bawku and its surrounding communities. Though a
handful of Churches can be found their impact is not felt. Remember we are
ONE.
