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Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, has vehemently advocated for a patriotic approach to crisis resolution and the rapid depoliticization of the issue.
The number of deaths is increasing. People are living in fearterrified. “Children cannot attend school,” he stated on Monday evening on Joy News’ PM Express.
“No essential services are thriving at the moment. Teachers, doctors and nurses are refusing posting to Bawku. Essential services are crippling, and this is really dire for our humanitarian efforts.”
His remarks coincide with rising levels of violence that have allegedly claimed the lives of both security forces and civilians.
Rev. Fordjour claims that attacks on the security forces that have been put in place to bring about peace have given the war a new and dangerous dimension.
“We’ve seen a worrying trend. The new dimension of the conflict seems to be between one of the feuding factions and the security services,” he said.
“It seems like some reprisals between the youth on one side and the police, and that is very dangerous. The security is there to ensure the protection of our citizens.
“If this conflict begins to stretch into open clashes between armed youth and security agencies, it’s going to be catastrophic.”
He stated that all parties are being urged by the Minority to act responsibly, calmly, and with moderation.
“Our first and foremost thoughts and prayers are with the relatives of the deceased and those hurt in the escalation.
According to him, “We are also expressing our sympathies to individuals and organizations who have lost property.” “What we are saying, more importantly, is that Bawku deserves peace.”
Rev. Fordjour emphasized that the politicization of the issue by certain political actors is a significant barrier to a lasting peace.
“One of the first things government has to do is to view this conflict as one whose solution cannot be politicized,” he stated.
“Every politician is urged to depoliticize. If we remove every tendency, undertone, and underpinning of politics from this conflict, what we are left with is a chiefly and traditional matter—something the Otumfuo-led mediation is addressing and will address.”
Rev. Fordjour criticised recent political rhetoric, suggesting that the escalation of the Bawku conflict correlates with the party in power.
“We’ve heard some pronouncements suggesting that when a certain party is in power, Bawku conflicts escalate, and when another is in power, it subsides,” he said. “This is not the time for that. Every politicization must be withdrawn.”
In addition to political restraint, Rev. Fordjour called on government to take urgent action to halt the influx of dangerous weapons into the conflict zone.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
