A Town Still Smouldering
Unfortunately and regrettably, Bawku is still smouldering.
The latest report of three persons killed and three soldiers on an injury list all from the restive town is worrying.
We are constrained to think that we are still far from the restoration of peace and tranquility in the town after all the efforts put in so far.
The Bawku municipality is sliding into a state of perpetual chaos and insecurity. Towns or communities which go with such descriptions automatically sever themselves from development and progress.
We lament the Bawku situation, a town which has produced illustrious sons and daughters, all of whom have contributed immensely towards the development of Ghana. So what went wrong over the years with this former important and prosperous trading centre?
We can bet that for public servants who are transferred to this part of the country, most would frown and prefer not set foot there. Indeed, a couple of weeks ago, this newspaper carried a story about how some hundred teachers sought and secured transfers out of Bawku. The fallouts from the state of insecurity for those living in Bawku are varied. Besides, the place no longer is attracting persons from other parts of the country those already there are seeking to move out.
As for the impact on education, it is real the long term effect will impugn upon the quality of products from local schools.
We had cause a few weeks ago to call on all stakeholders to gird their loins and tackle the state of insecurity in which the Bawku municipality is embroiled.
The three more persons dead and three soldiers injured represent the grief of some families. For how long are we going to live with the realities of insecurity in Bawku and keep watching the mounting cost of maintaining the peace in this restive part of the country?
The circumstances leading to the fresh bout of violence is worrying – soldiers proceeded to the source of sporadic firing and in the event engaged with young gunmen. Three deaths and three injuries is a painful blot on the image of the town.
The bravado of the young men in the municipality and its outskirts coupled with the sophisticated weapons in their hands makes the situation even murkier. That they engaged the military detachment deployed to respond to the reckless and sporadic firing suggests how they are prepared for a long haul in the perpetuation of insecurity.
The need for alternative response to the unending state of chaos cannot be overlooked if current approaches are not yielding the desired dividend.
Source:dailyguide
