Truck searches in Bawku a joint decision, not bias — Kusaasi youth debunk Mamprugu youth’s claims

The Kusaasi Youth Movement (KYM) has dismissed claims by the Mamprugu Youth Association (MAYA) that trucks belonging to their community remain grounded in Bolgatanga due to unfair escort arrangements.

KYM describes the allegations as misleading and a distortion of agreed security protocols.

This comes after MAYA, in a recent statement following former President John Dramani Mahama’s visit to Nalerigu, accused state authorities of selective treatment in the ongoing conflict in Bawku, citing the non-escort of some 27 trucks as evidence of bias.

But responding in a counter-statement dated June 16, the Kusaasi youth insisted that the arrangement to escort vehicles in smaller batches under strict security supervision was a mutual decision reached by both factions in conjunction with the security agencies.

They said the process is a confidence-building measure designed to prevent arms smuggling and ensure that Bawku remains safe.

“The decision to escort fewer trucks at a time, and a thorough search carried out, was a collective and strategic decision agreed upon by both Kusaasis and Mamprusis representatives in collaboration with the security agencies,” the group stated.

According to KYM, the Mamprugu youth’s unwillingness to submit to the agreed procedures upon arrival in Bawku led to the impounding of three trucks which remain at the Bawku Divisional Police Station.

The group described allegations that trucks operated by Kusaasis were not being searched as “false and baseless,” noting that their side was the first to advocate for compulsory security searches.