Gov’t has to step up, depoliticise efforts to end Bawku conflict — Rev Ntim Fordjour

The Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee in Parliament, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, has called on the government to intensify efforts and adopt a non-partisan approach in resolving the prolonged Bawku conflict.

The Assin South Member of Parliament observed that in times past, politicians blame opponents for escalating the fight, emphasing that depoliticising the crisis is essential to finding a lasting solution.

“The government has to step up a bit more,” he said in an interview on Accra-based JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, April 14.

“We are all supporting the government in a nationalistic manner. But one of the first things to do is to view this conflict as one whose solution cannot be politicised. Every politician must be urged to de-politicise the matter,” he added.

Rev Fordjour expressed worry over what he described as a new and dangerous dimension to the conflict — one that appears to pitch some of the youth against security personnel deployed to the area.

“We’ve seen a worrying trend where the new dimension of the conflict seems to involve clashes between some youth and the security services. That is very dangerous because the security is there to ensure the protection of our citizens,” he stated.

He also urged all factions involved in the violence to exercise restraint and allow peace to prevail in the war-torn municipality.

The Assin South Member of Parliament further lamented the humanitarian impact of the conflict, noting that essential service delivery in the area has collapsed due to insecurity.