IGP warns Bimbila chieftaincy factions against mobilizing people

Bimbilla, (N/R), Dec. 10, GNA - The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, has warned the two factions in the Bimbilla chieftaincy dispute to desist from mobilizing people to accompany them whenever they were attending court proceedings in Tamale. He said the practice has the potential of breaching the peace and likely to provoke other acts of violence in the area if it was allowed to continue.

"The police and other security agencies would not allow any faction in the Bimbilla chieftaincy dispute to organise their supporters to create confusion during court proceedings", he pointed out. Mr. Acheampong was addressing the Nanumba North District Security Committee (DISEC) members, opinion leaders and leaders of the two factions in the Bimbilla Chieftaincy disputes as part of a week-long duty tour of the Northern Region.

The IGP expressed concern about the negative impact of conflicts in the region, especially in the area of development and appealed to the people to eschew acts of violence to reduce government expenditure on police and military operations for development projects in the communities. "Don't let us continue to live with the history that in the North, conflicts can only be settled by means of violence. This is not true, I entreat all the people in Bimbilla to discourage the youth from any acts of violence", he said.

Mr. Acheampong announced that a new divisional police headquarters would be established at Bimbilla while efforts were being made by the new police administration to bring police activities closer to the communities. He appealed to the Nanumba North District Assembly to help provide residential accommodation as soon as possible to enable the Police Administration to post officers there within the shortest possible time. The IGP also announced that the Police Administration would soon embark on a special recruitment exercise in the northern parts of the country to select and train people in the community policing and domestic violence. Those who would benefit from this training would work in their local communities to assist other social agencies to enhance development. Mr. Acheampong however, said areas that were prone to conflict would not benefit from the programme until the conflict situations in those areas were improved.