Anchoring Democracy Advocacy Movement Ghana (ADAM-GH) is a civil society organization that anchors proper democratic principles, ensures goo...
Anchoring Democracy Advocacy Movement Ghana (ADAM-GH) is a civil society organization that anchors proper democratic principles, ensures good governance, promotes the rule of law and fundamental human rights.
We have decided to issue this statement because, as members of a CSO that believe in the truth and protection of the constitution, our conscience leaves us no other choice. Two of ADAM-GH topmost Executives are sons of Kusaasis and Mamprusis, Executive Secretary of ADAM-GH Mr. Azubila is Kusaasi half Bisa half. Vice Chairman of ADAM-GH Mr. IBN Haruna is a Mamprusi from Gambaga.
We see the need to urgently question the silence of the Members of Parliament (MPs) and the political party leaders of the six districts under the Bawku Traditional Area, as well as that of other power wielders and opinion drivers of the area on the happenings that led to the current conflict in Bawku. ADAM-GH agrees entirely with the facts on the white paper issued by current Government of Ghana on Bawku Naba’s Saman-piid festival on 29th December 2021 by the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs on behalf of the president of the Republic of Ghana, concerning the Bawku conflict. We also appreciate the truth and wisdom in the speech delivered by the Overload of the Bawku Traditional Area, the Zugraan Asigri Abugraogo II calling for peace.
The content of the government white paper and the speech of the Zugraan, as well as the truth told by the Interior Minister and the Chieftaincy Minister are the sentiments of our hearts. We find ourselves in full accord when we juxtapose the facts on the government white paper and the truth in the overlord’s speech with the various committees and commissions reports as well as the court rulings from 1957 to 2003. The facts that the Current Bawku Naba, Zugraana Abugraogo II is the legitimate overlord of the Bawku Traditional Area is not in doubt and the Chieftaincy of the Bawku Traditional Area is not in any dispute, and anyone who says, or does anything to suggest that the Zugraan is illegitimate or any one who says or does anything to suggest that the Bawku chieftaincy is in disputes is a criminal.
The only way that someone can challenge the legitimacy of the current Bawku Naba Abugrago Asigri Azoka II is to go to the Supreme Court for proper interpretation of its ruling in 2003, or else be declared law breakers and criminals. The facts and truth in the government white paper is beyond doubt and the mission to which the paper literally called all of us: CSOs, law enforcement agencies, politicians, clergy, media, and everyone who means well for Bawku is no longer a difficult one. Clearly, everyone should have been pressed by the demand of truth to self, to openly condemn the criminal activities of the Mamprusi in Bawku which has bedevilled Bawku with conflict and insecurity, and to register their support for the government to deal with the criminals in Bawku and ensure the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of the Bawku Naba as the overlord of the Traditional Area.
But surprisingly, some key players and opinion drivers in Bawku affairs, including the Members of Parliament and key political party leaders of the Traditional Area have since failed to assume the responsibility of supporting the government and Bawku Naba to give vent to the truth and clamp down the criminals who disturb the peace of the area. We all know very well that an absolute majority of our society are conformist to political ideologies and worshippers of their respective political parties and party leaders. And those conformists and worshippers of political parties don't easily take any individual independent stand for or against an ideal without influence from leaders of their respective political parties.
In fact the human spirit of any member of the major political parties in Ghana does not move without great difficulty against all the prejudice, mischief, propaganda, and apathy of conformist thought within his/her own bosom and in the surrounding political environment.
Moreover, when the issues at hand seem as further complicated by politics, conspiracy theories and selfish partisan schemes, as it is in the case of this histogeneric, and generational criminal-managed dreadful conflict, people are much more likely to be confounded by the silence of their MPs and their respective political party leaders.
The silence by the MPs and political party leaders on facts the government pointed out on the white paper concerning the Bawku issue is a betrayal of what they should represent, the truth and the constitution.
We loudly call on the MPs, Political party flag bearers and all party leaders of the Bawku Traditional Area to break the betrayal of their silence. They must speak to the facts that the Zug-raan Asigri Abugraogo is the legitimate overlord of the Bawku Traditional Area and the Chieftaincy of Bawku Traditional Area is in no dispute, and whoever says or does anything to suggest that the Zugraan is illegitimate, or the Chieftaincy of the Bawku Traditional Area is in dispute, must be treated as a common criminal.
That message must be presented, published and broadcast publicly and on all media networks, including community radios and social media by the MPs and the party leaders themselves. Particularly, the MP for Bawku, Mahama Ayariga, whose constituents are both perpetrators and victims of the criminal activities, must break his silence and speak to the facts.
He must unequivocally condemn the criminal activities of the Mamprusis, advocate the facts that the Bawku Traditional Area has no Chieftaincy dispute and the truth that Bawku Naba Zugraana Asigri Abugraogo II is the legitimate overlord of the Bawku Traditional Area.
Meanwhile the silence of Mahama Ayariga is highly suspicious because he has been all over the media networks and other public fora eloquently expressing his proficiency and opinion on several other issues in this country.
Why then is he so mute about this critical issue in his own constituency, while others like the Interior Minister and Chieftaincy Minister are talking about it?
Undoubtedly we know that Mamprusis who choose to torment Bawku and its people with criminal violence are his mother's family members against his father’s side the Kusaasis, making it difficult for him to comment. But in this case Hon. Mahama Ayariga must stand by the truth as this current Government and his appointtees have done. He must know that it is not only Kusaasis and Mamprusis who are dying in the Bawku conflict, so the only honourable thing to do now is to stand by the truth as a lawyer and a law maker.
Whatever he is up to Bawku people and the rest of Ghanaians want to know his stance and he must break the silence now to save lives in his constituency and demonstrate his integrity.
For sustainable peace in Bawku, the MPs in Kusaug Traditional Area and party leaders as well as all other opinion drivers, including the media and security agencies, must support the government in condemning the criminal activities of the Mamprusi in Bawku, ensure harsh punishment for the criminals and protect the security and authority of the people and the Bawku Naba.
They must join efforts in making the Mamprusi in Bawku to appreciate the facts that Kusasis are the owners of the Bawku Traditional Area, Kusasis are the designated/chosen clans that can be enskined Bawku Naba, and no Mamprusi person can any longer be enskined Bawku Naba.
They must let them know that all the criminal violence and murders they commit can never make them chiefs because they cannot kill all the Kusassi, who are the owners of the land before they enskin a Mamprusi person as Bawku Naba. Since they can no longer have a Mamprusi as Bawku Naba while Kusasi live on their own land, let us not be slow to speak against impossible demands that are contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
All the power blocks and opinion drivers must straightforward let the Mamprusi in Bawku know that they have the following options: to apologize to the Bawku Naba and recognize his authority of the Bawku Traditional Area for peaceful coexistence, pack all their belongings and leave Bawku to their home region, or they choose to continue with their criminal behavior which will sooner bring upon them serious security and safety problems.
In fact Nayiri must be contacted by the power blocks and opinion drivers in the country to know the Nayiri’s official stance on the criminal activities of their tribesmen in Bawku and to engage their involvement in advising their tribesmen in Bawku to apologize to Bawku Naba and his elders so that Bawku Naba can appoint one of them as chief of Mamprusis in Bawku just as nayiri has appointed other tribesmen as sub-chiefs in Mamprugu.
Some, such as ADAM-GH, including the President Nana Addo-led government, who have already begun to break the silence on the decades of dark nights of propaganda, poisonous falsified history, and criminal activities in Bawku have found that the calling and responsibility to speak the truth is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak the truth nonetheless.
In fact all leaders of the public and private entities, as well as members and executives of social and civil society organizations must appreciate the position and action of the government in openly telling the truth that the Bawku Traditional Area has no Chieftaincy dispute, the Bawku Naba Zugraan Asigri Abugraogo II is the legitimate overlord of the Bawku Traditional Area. Surely this is not the first time in the history of our dear nation that a ruling government puts the truth and the responsibility to protect the constitution and the interests of the society above the propagated theories and selfish partisan interests of their party members and executives, to move beyond the usual tricks of betraying the truth with silence to the high grounds of firm action against their party members who committed crimes .
Previous governments after independence stated categorically that Kusaug Traditional Area belongs to Kusaasis. This action of President Nana Addo, which is based upon the mandate of conscience and reading of facts from history, must be commended and supported by all Political parties in Ghana.
Every power wielder and opinion driver in Bawku must, based on their appreciation of the firm action of the government against the criminals who triggered the conflict as well as their desire and interest for sustained peace in Bawku, put pressure on all the law enforcement agencies, including the courts, to ensure anyone who does not recognize or respect the authority of the Bawku Naba is heavily punished to serve as a deterrent.
They must sincerely work together not only to ensure that the Mamprusi apologize to the Bawku Naba Zugraana Asigri Abugraogo II, but also present candidate(s) for the Bawku Naba to enskin as the Chief of the Mamprusi community in Bawku.
To this end, we are now faced with the fact that the future of Bawku peace is today. In this unfolding conundrum of conflict, devastated life and conflicting history of the Bawku Traditional Area, there is such a thing as being too late.
Procrastination is still the thief of time. If all of us, Ghanaians, especially people with interest in Bawku and all the people in Bawku, don't take action now to ruthlessly deal with, stop and eradicate the crimes and criminals amongst the Mamprusi in Bawku, who have put the security and safety of Bawku and it's people on red for decades, life in Bawku will sooner than we expect, be left bare naked and dejected, with lost opportunity to crash criminals and save the society.
Martin Luther King said " a time to break silence is now and over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of conflicts that turned uncontrollable and eventually left one of the factions wiped out are the pathetic words; (Too late). There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect, our responsiveness or our carelessness, and our conspicuous silence or our advocacy". All the decision makers and opinion drivers in Bawku, including the MPs, party leaders, clergy, security agencies, etc., still have a choice today to get the Mamprusi to apologize to the Bawku Naba for peaceful coexistence, or for them to leave Bawku to wherever they came from or wish to go to start live, or they keep quiet and watch on as the Mamprusi continue with their criminal activities against the Bawku Naba and the people of the Bawku Traditional Area and plunge the Bawku municipality into an endless war zone which will only stop when one side is defeated and wiped out.
The major power-blocks in the country, the two major political parties and their presidential candidates to a large extent, over the years, have contributed to recognizing a Mamprusi lawbreaker as a “regent” in solicitation for votes and political capital and this has contributed to the price we are paying today.
We insist that no politician, Flagbearer, Parliamentary candidate, Political party leaders, etc., should visit any self-styled regent which, conferring legitimacy on a criminal, thus emboldening them to advance their criminal activities in Bawku. In any case, recognizing an illegitimate lawbreaker as regent could better pass as an abetment to their crime.
As a civil society organization that is worried about the innocent lives lost in Bawku including a pregnant woman, we are urging all political parties, opinion leaders to come out and support the President of the Republic of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufu Addo, and his government to drum loud the hard truth to our brothers and sisters, the Bawku-based Mamprusis, that their demand is very impossible and an affront to the entire nation and not only Kusaug.
Long life Kusaug traditional Council
Long life Upper East Region!
Long life the Republic of Ghana!
Signed
Ibrahim A. Mumuni Director of Operations ADAM-GH
Contact: *0243486397*
John Kwame Adu Jack
Director of Research and Media Relations ADAM-GH.
Contact: 0208307003
www.EweGhana.Net
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