PEACE, BAWKU, PEACE!

The communal clashes in Bawku which started some fifty years ago has claimed several lives and destroyed properties worth millions of Ghana cedi.
The conflict which takes its remote cause in chieftaincy and land dispute is gradually bringing Bawku and for that matter the entire Bawku municipality to its knees and also scaring away workers and potential investors.

The frequent breaks in social life, economic activities, quality health care assessment etc leaves much to be desired. What is more, the many projects and businesses that have been put on hold are having severe hardship and underdevelopment on the area. The man hours and resources lost to the conflict are overwhelming.

The revenue of the Bawku municipal Assembly have dwindled drastically and the little left plus what comes from the central Government are being used to keep peace in Bawku but could have been channeled to build schools, hospitals, roads, dams and markets.

Both JHS and SHS candidates of 2008 suffered a great deal of tuition since most teachers vacated the area. For instance, the JHS candidates at the wake of this recent conflict did not receive a steady tuition as any time the conflict erupted they had to run home for their dear lives which meant that particular week a lot of lesson period had been lost. Also some SHS candidates missed some of their final WASSCE papers which one wonders what the performance of these candidates of 2008 results will be.

Women especially the pregnant ones went through horrible experiences just to access health care resulting in the death of one of them. The children are looking on helplessly and not sure what the conflict situation would turn them into in the near future.

In fact any body you talk to speaks of frustrations and are not in the least happy about what is happening in Bawku.

A few workers who have braved the storm and still at post during this conflict times are equally worried and not sure how things will turn out. Their worry becomes worse when their families and relations keep calling them to vacate the area simply because the news that comes from Bawku any time there is renewed violence is enough to increase ones blood pressure

However the situation is not too bad that it cannot be corrected because the Kusasis and Mamprusis have many things in common than divide them. Firstly most Kusasis and Mamprusis have their parentage and close relations being either a Kusasi or a Mamprusi. Secondly they use the same markets, schools, hospitals and clinics, boreholes etc. Thirdly any time there is renewed violence, some few days later when you see how they interact you will wonder which people were fighting the previous days. The people of Bawku have a strong will and should be able to call a spade a spade and unanimously agree to stop the recent conflict which has lasted for five months no matter who is perceived to be down or up because in a conflict situation there is neither a victor nor vanquish especially when the combatants are closely related.

Let us have confidence in the peace process initiated by the President J A Kufuor which has now been handed over to the National Peace Council led by His eminence cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson. Let us listen to the soothing words of peace by these eminent personalities and move from our entrenched positions and allow peace to reign. Let do this for the sake of the children, women, and non native workers who are determined to help develop the area despite all the odds and for the values and identity we stand for. We should also cooperate and appreciate the securities who are sacrificing their lives day in day out to ensure that there is no further lost of life or property. But for the security things could have been worse. It doesn’t matter what has happened so far, they fortunes of Bawku can be turned around if they combatants decide today to stop the violence, attacks and destructions. It is possible peace can reign in Bawku again because nothing is impossible for he who believes. Shalom! Peace!!


JAMES DORGBETOR
MUNICIPAL INFORMATION OFFICER
BAWKU