The MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has allayed concerns that terrorists would enter Ghana as a result of the continuing crisis in Bawku in the Upper East Region.
Though Ghana’s borders appear porous, the legislator expressed doubt that Bawku will be a target for terrorist operations.
There have been incidences of terrorism recorded in neighboring countries, and some of those neighbours have sought sanctuary in Ghana.
Numerous individuals have died in the protracted conflict in Bawku; the most recent death occurred on February 1, 2023, when ten people was shot and killed.
The host of The Point of View, Bernard Avle, questioned whether terrorists would not use the ongoing war between the Kusasis and Mamprusis in Bawku to wreak havoc in Ghana.
The lawmaker made the observation that Ghanaians would only rebel against the government when they have no other means of standing up for their rights.
Bawku won’t be the location of this happening. When people lack the means or chances to defend their rights, they will turn against the government. It’s quite improbable that they will rebel against the state, though, if the government works to make everyone feel safe, according to Mahama Ayariga.
He thinks that inhabitants of Ghana can always seek justice if they are unhappy and won’t rebel against the government because of the country’s working democracy.
“Ghana’s institutions and systems are in place, so I’m not concerned about it. Our democratic system is working. No matter how unhappy you are with democracy, it is still a democracy that works. If you battle for remedies, you can get them,” he said.
He urged the administration to make sure that, unlike other nearby nations, there are no problems between the people and the government.
“In Burkina Faso, the areas where you observed a concentration of attacks, believe me, individuals from Bawku drive across those areas with trucks carrying onions, salt, and various commodities to Niger. You will be attacked if you are stopped while driving in that area and have a national identity card or other official documents that link you to the state of Burkina Faso. They are attacking the state and have problems with the state, so they might just kill you.
“We shouldn’t put our people in a position where they would be unhappy with their state. The state becomes a valid target for the people when they perceive that the state’s own procedures do not provide them with a solution to their problems, according to the MP for Bawku Central.
Mahama Ayariga petitioned the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice after alleging that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) killed some Bawku natives (CHRAJ).
The legislator disagreed with GAF’s justification that they engaged a squad of armed individuals and killed six of them.
“I disagree with their self-serving justifications. Did the statement mention that any weapons were recovered from them? These were obviously unarmed males, he snarled.
source: CitifmOnline
