The joint committees on Defence and Interior, as well as Security and Intelligence, today held a closed-door meeting with the Ministers for Defence and Interior, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to address the conflict in Bawku and the violence that erupted during the Ablekuma North election.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah, the Minister for Defence; Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, the Minister for the Interior; and Christian Tetteh Yohuno, the IGP, jointly briefed members of the committees on steps being taken by state security to restore peace and ensure safety along the Walewale–Tamale and Bawku–Bazoa highways.
They also updated the legislators on measures being implemented to prevent a recurrence of the violence that characterised the recent Ablekuma North by-election.
Invitation
Briefing the media, the Chairperson of the Defence Committee, Mr James Agalga, said a number of significant security concerns had emerged in recent days.
He cited the escalation of the Bawku conflict, which had resulted in the loss of several lives along the Bawku–Bazoa and Walewale–Tamale highways. In addition, he referenced the violent incidents that marred the rerun of elections in 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North.
“As a result of these two critical security issues, the joint committees found it necessary to invite the Ministers for Defence and the Interior, as well as the IGP, to appear before us to brief members on the developments,” he stated.
The MP for Builsa North said the committees were particularly interested in understanding what steps were being taken to ensure that those who engaged in acts of violence during the Ablekuma North election were arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Assurance
“The ministers and the IGP gave us the assurance that, with respect to the Ablekuma elections, they are reviewing some viral videos, and in due course, the perpetrators will be arrested and dealt with in accordance with the law,” Mr Agalga said.
He added that the security officer who allegedly assaulted a journalist during the Ablekuma North election had been interdicted and was currently being dealt with through due process.
On the Bawku conflict, he noted that the security agencies had assured the committees that measures were being put in place to restore safety along the affected highways.
Rationale for the invitation
Mr Agalga explained that Parliament holds oversight responsibility over state security agencies and the relevant ministries.
“As such, we thought it important to invoke those powers, bring them before Parliament, and apprise ourselves of the situation.
“In due course, we shall present to the Right Honourable Speaker a report emanating from today’s engagement,” he said.
Lessons must be learned
A member of the Defence Committee, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, stressed the need to contain the spillover of the Bawku conflict on national security, especially given developments along Ghana’s northern border and in the wider sub-region.
She said doing so would help restore law and order and support the peace process being spearheaded by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Regarding the Ablekuma North election, she said lessons must be learned to ensure that “some of these incidents do not recur.”
“As members of both committees with oversight responsibility, we intend to follow up to ensure that all recommendations presented to the committees are pursued to a conclusion,” she said.
Bipartisan approach
The Ranking Member of the Defence Committee, Mr John Ntim Fordjour, emphasised that the joint committees had adopted a bipartisan, non-partisan approach to enable them to arrive at a credible and mutually acceptable resolution.
“We are optimistic that the measures discussed with the security agencies and the sector ministers will be sufficient in immediately de-escalating the tensions we have witnessed,” he concluded.
