NPP National Youth Organizer, Salam Mustapha, has called for calm among the residents in Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
There have been generational civil war between the Mamprusi and Kusasi tribes over Chieftaincy conflicts and other deep-rooted issues.
Many residents in the community have died as a result of the war and in recent times, there have been seemingly an unending shootings in the area.
Due to the tension in Bawku, some radio stations are said to stop operations as part of measures to calming down nerves, however some people believe this is not the solution to the problem as they fear it might even create further conflicts.
Speaking in a media interview, Salam Mustapha expressed disgust over the Mamprusis and Kusasis’ longstanding kerfuffle, hence recounting the repercussions of the actions of the two tribes on the community and the nation at large.
To him, no one can end the Bawku conflict than the people, themselves, and called on them to unite in order to foster development in the area.
“It will take the people to say that, okay, enough is enough. Whether you are a Mamprusi or you are a Kusasi, look, we are one people; so let’s make progress, then everybody will drop their arms. Otherwise, it looks like any young man growing up, the next thing you want is a firearm, it’s a gun for yourself because you don’t when someone will attack you and women and children, the aged are those suffering. Businesses are gone. You know people’s livelihoods, I don’t think it’s a nice story,” he advised.
He also blamed politicians for fueling the conflict, revealing there are some politicians sponsoring the Bawku fights for political gains.
Salam Mustapha admonished the political actors in the dispute, media practitioners and individuals resorting to the use of incendiary language to desist from it stating such behavior creates further cracks making it difficult to resolve the issue.
“It has not made any stride. It has not yielded any benefit and we just can’t continue like that…it is rather destroying, so why should we continue?”, he questioned.
He implored the Bawku residents to notice the damage they are doing to themselves and strike a truce, stressing “I think that the biggest legacy we can do is to find a way to get back to normalcy and ensure that we restore calm and unity back and I don’t think that it is something out of the way. I think that it’s something that we can achieve”
Listen to the audio below:
Story by: Appiah Kubi/Ahotoronline.com
