President Akufo-Addo says the conflict in Bawku in the Upper East region has turned the area into a wasteland of destruction and distrust.
During his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament on February 27, 2024, the President characterized the prolonged chieftaincy issues in the area as “troubling.”
According to the President, the resources used in maintaining peace in that part of the country could have been used to develop the area instead.
"the tragedy is not only that a thriving and dynamic town is being reduced to a wasteland of destruction and distrust, we are spending money and energy that would have been better spent on development needs of Bawku, providing security to keep brothers and sisters from killing each other.”
The President also highlighted his government’s achievements in ensuring security for the citizenry, assuring that efforts will persist.
On the recommendation of the Upper East Regional and National Security Councils, he noted that, four radio stations, that have been broadcasting incendiary language and propagating hate speech, have been shut down by the National Communications Authority.
The Chief Justice has also recently established specialised Courts in Accra and in Kumasi to deal expeditiously with criminal matters emanating from the Bawku conflict, he said.
“Government is determined to do all it can to ensure there is security in every inch of the territory of our country, but it also is very much up to the citizens to help create the needed atmosphere, and I am, thus, appealing to all citizens to take the See Something, Say Something campaign of the Ministry of National Security very seriously,” Mr Akufo-Addo assured.