Dr. John Kingsley Krugu, National Coordinator for Landscape Restoration and Small Scale Mining and NPP parliamentary candidate for Bawku West, has called on politicians and the general public not to politicize the longstanding conflicts in Bawku, but rather focus on finding constructive solutions.
In a media interview regarding the recent clash between the Mamprusis and Kusasis in Bawku, Upper East Region, Dr. Krugu highlighted the decades-long instability in the town due to chieftaincy disputes, resulting in loss of lives and property destruction.
Dr. Krugu emphasised that despite efforts dating back to former President John Agyekum Kufuor tenure, lasting peace had remained elusive in Bawku.
He stressed the need for non-partisan, strategic approaches to address these conflicts, cautioning against further exacerbating tensions through politicization.
Addressing the youth of Bawku, Dr. Krugu urged them to prioritize their future success over involvement in conflicts that could jeopardize their careers. He encouraged them to pursue actions that contribute to peace and development in the region.
Background
There has been recurring chieftaincy dispute in Bawku and its environs, characterised by violent clashes that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years, while property running into millions of Ghana cedis has been lost to the violence.
Historians say the dispute is over the rightful ownership of the Bawku skin, referred to as na’am. At the peak of every one of the renewed clashes, socio-economic activities are grounded in the once busy commercial town