Bolgatanga, Feb. 7, GNA - The Director General of Police in-charge of Operation, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kofi Boakye, on Tuesday visited the Bukere and Soe conflict areas in the Bolgatanga Municipality.

The purpose of the visit was to assess the situation on the ground and to strategise on how to involve chiefs, opinion leaders and other stakeholders in on-going efforts at resolving the impasse between the two communities.

He also visited the Kassena-Nankana district and the Bawku Municipality. In all the areas visited, ACP Boakye held separate meetings with the District Chief Executives (DCEs). He entreated them to assist the Police to maintain peace and security in order to pave the way for development, stressing that without peace no meaningful development can take place.

He stressed the need for a good partnership between the Police, DCEs, opinion leaders, the general public and other stakeholders to combat crime, saying that the police would need all the necessary support from the general public to be able to combat crime effectively.

ACP Boakye expressed concern over the way the public often attacked police stations and police personnel at the least provocation, and indicated that the police would not countenance any acts of indiscipline. He said the police are a constitutionally mandated institution charged with the responsibility of ensuring that peace and security were maintained to enable people to go about their normal duties. The Director-General cautioned the police to apply the laid down procedure in executing their duties, especially when it comes to using ammunition, and stressed that any policeman who failed to abide by regulations of the Police Service would have himself or herself to blame.

He further cautioned the police to exhibit a high sense of discipline, dedication, neutrality and professionalism to enable them to win public confidence.

The Paramount Chief of the Bolgatanga Traditional Area, Naba Martin Abilba III, expressed regret over the communal conflict that erupted between the youth of Bukere and Soe on January 15 this year, which led to the death of a 15 year old JSS girl, with nine people sustaining various degrees of injuries.

Naba Abilba announced that the Traditional Council had set up a six-member committee to work out an amicable solution to the problem. He also indicted that the chiefs of the two areas involved had also promised to bring the youth together to smoke the peace pipe. Naba Abilba pointed out that the Bolgatanga Municipality and its environs was reputed to be a peaceful area, describing it as the "Geneva of Ghana" and promised to ensure that peace returned to the area. The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Abdul-Rahman Gumah, indicated that peace was now prevailing in Bawku and that business and development were going on briskly.

He however bemoaned the spate of armed robbery on highways within the region, to which he himself had fallen victim on two occasions. Responding, ACP Boakye announced that one of the priorities of the Police Administration this year would be to equip the Police adequately to enable them to combat highway robbery.