The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has lamented the deteriorating security situation in Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
He noted that Bawku is becoming a toxic place for all persons due to renewed conflicts among the locals, a situation he said, must be dealt with immediately.
The Tamale South lawmaker said this in Parliament on Wednesday, when the Interior Minister Ambrose Dery appeared before the House to answer questions.
He said “I got back to Parliament yesterday, Tuesday March 1 after travelling to Bawku. I am frightened what I saw entering Bawku. So I just want to draw his attention that let us not take the matter in Bawku lightly. On two occasions I asked that I can’t enter here, that I can’t pass there.
“That is the extent of the heat manifesting in excessive arms in wrong hands. Citizens are just sitting across not relating to each other as they used to.
“Driving back , I have been frightened and I think that the deteriorating security situation in Bawku must receive the necessary and urgent attention of you as Minister for the Interior and probably also for National Security.”
Responding to him, the Interior Minister assured that the government is working to resolve the issues.
He said military and police officers have been deployed to Bawku to ensure peace.
“Let me thank the Minority Leader for raising the matter which is very important t the security of this country. It all started with simple suspicion and later on we deployed both military and police.
“When we did that it was an ordinary deployment until we were shocked by some occurrence which wasn’t easily understood and in view of the fact that it is near a border where you have the extremists being close. There is reinforcement, if you went there you have also seen the armour that had been deployed.
“We are also conscious of the fact that that alone is not adequate so we had deployed the Peace Council to engage the area and the intervention of the Peace Council will bring down the tension that you saw. We are prepared to make sure that status quo is respected and maintained and that no lawlessness is going to be tolerated.”
