Mamprugu Youth Appeals To Otumfour to mediate in Bawku Chieftancy
The Mamprugu Youth Association are calling on Government to speed up efforts in engaging Otumfour Osei Tutu II and other eminent chiefs to as a matter of urgency, mediate in finding a lasting solution to the Bawku chieftaincy crisis. “Bawku was founded by our ancestors and our utmost prayer is to see lasting peace in our beloved town and the entire traditional area”.
This came to light at a press conference organized by the Mamprugu Youth Association as part of their efforts to find a lasting solution to the Bawku Chieftaincy issue.
In setting the record straight, the spokesperson of the Association, Prof. Ishaq Ibrahim said, it is palpable falsehood not befitting the status of a reverend minister in the person of Rev Azumah and his Kusaug people’s congress to say, “there are military posts all around the periphery of the Mamprusi enclave, forming a protective wall around the Mamprusi community and deterring people in the outskirts from accessing the town centre.”
According to him, the facts shows that it is rather the Kusasis who prevent their own people and traders from other tribes such as Bissas from accessing the town center. “Perhaps, what the Kusaug people’s congress is alluding to is that the military is preventing their armed kusasi bandits from getting access to the town center”.
He further stated, “We wish to admonish the kusasis to be concerned about the banditry, attacks with impunity carried out by their own youth in the Bawku area and not be concerned about happenings in the Northeast. Ever since the eruption of violence in Bawku, there have been over a dozen attacks on the Bolga-Bawku-Pulimakom and Bolga-Bawku-Kulungungu highway with uncountable deaths and destruction to property. All these attacks are always perpetrated by kusasi youth with impunity and celebrated by their leaders. This should be the main concern for the leaders of the kusaug people’s congress”.
He averred that, the Association have taken note of how the Kusaug people’s congress which represents the Kusasis elite describes in derogatory terms, members of the Ghana Armed Forces as “fresh recruits, very inexperienced, tweaky and trigger-happy personnel”.
“This disrespect towards our military needs to be condemned by all Ghanaians in strong terms. It is not surprising that kusasi bandits, obviously motivated by the likes of Rev Azumah, will shoot, and injure 3 military officers and continuously threaten to unleash mayhem on the security services in Bawku. These are the kind of people we have as adversaries in Bawku. The surprising thing is that it is the same military men the kusaug people’s congress describe as “very inexperienced, tweaky and trigger-happy personnel” that protect the Kusasi stooge Aninchema Abugrago day and night in his hideout in Gingande, Bawku. On this note, we strongly advise the Government to withdraw the services of the military at Aninchema Abugrago’s house with immediate effect”.
The Association according to Ishaq Ibrahim, consider very shameful for the kusaug people’s congress to falsely claim that there is insecurity around the Bawku Presby Hospital. “This is palpable falsehood and part of their grand plan to lure the Presbyterian church into closing the hospital. For the record, the hospital and nurses training college are well protected by the military and very functional as we speak. Furthermore, the facts on the ground does not support the false picture they are presenting that kusasi enclaves outside the town are peaceful. The security agencies will acknowledge the fact that all the banditry and criminal attacks occur at kusasi territories and not in the Mamprusi territories”.
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He revealed that, a kusasi youth leader by name Haruna Abugri in a radio interview issued threatening words to the presiding judge at the Bolgatanga High Court II simply because the judge granted a stay of execution application made by counsel for Bawku Naaba Alhaji Seidu Abagre.
The Association is therefore, urging the security agencies to pick up Haruna Abugri for prosecution and grant the judge all the security and assurances he needs to conduct the case without fear.
