.... STATEMENT ON THE ON-GOING VIOLENCE IN BAWKU

Following the unfortunate killing of Mr. Amadu Danladi of Missiga, Bawku on April 15, 2010 Mr. Jake Obetssebi Lamtey, National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) missed an opportunity to use the sad event to appeal to the government to take the necessary steps to bring an end to the wanton destruction of innocent lives and property in the area. The NPP Chairman instead used fighting words to spew hatred, spread unfounded tales and preach divisiveness to the people of Bawku in particular, and to all Ghanaians in general.

In light of th unfortunate position taken by no less a person than the chairman of a national political party, we the members of the Kusasi communities in the diaspora have found it imperative to call out Mr. Lamptey and his NPP on their stance on the Bawku issue, and more importantly, to set the record straight for all peace-loving Ghanaians.

1. The Bawku Chieftaincy Matter Has Been Settled

The constant reference by the media and others to “factions” and “feuding” parties in relation to a chieftaincy dispute in the Bawku Disitrict is misplaced. The Chieftaincy matter has been litigated right up to the highest courts in the land, with the verdicts in each case rendered in favor of the Kusasi Chief of Bawku. The decision by the highest court is “res judicata” and as such, is final, and not subject to appeal, and binding on all parties as part of the laws of Ghana. The chieftaincy matter having been settled by the courts, there is no genuine chieftaincy dispute that needs to be resolved. Parties seeking to forment trouble under the guise of a chieftaincy dispute are violating the law and must be dealt with through a vigorous enforcement of the criminal laws of Ghana.

The Kusasis are a peaceful people, and our desire is to live in peace with all our neighbors regardless of their tribal affiliation. However, we will never compromise on the Bawku chieftaincy matter. Bawku is a Kusasi town and will never be ruled by a member of any other tribe other than the Kusasi. We Have heard the same old tired-out recycled utterances that the Mamprusis were the kings and queens of Bawku since the beginning of time. While we have no arguments against such statements for if that’s what makes the proponents of such statements happy, sure it is their prerogative to make them. However, the utterances are irrelevant in modern times where the courts have properly recognized rights of the majority Kusasis to govern their town as part of their inalienable right to self-determination.

Given the reality on the ground in Bawku today, it is hard to understand why anyone would even conceive of the idea that someone other than a Kusasi should be the chief of Bawku. Which Kusasi is going to pay homage to that non-Kusasi chief? That line of thinking is just not practical and should not even be entertained by right-thinking minds. Folks must understand the fact that those “glory days” are passé; gone and never to come back. It is wishful thinking to believe that there will be a government in Ghana that can reverse the situation in Bawku.

The days that our fathers and mothers were subjected to ridicule with impunity and arrogance by some of the Bawku Mamprusis are over; the days that revenues that were collected from our fathers and mothers and misappropriated for parochial advantage are over. The days that our fathers and mothers were used as farm laborers by some of the Bawku Mamprusis are over. The days that our fathers and mothers were subjected to insults such as “who is a Kusasi?” are over. And more importantly, the days that Kusasis and their friends including such inspirational leaders as the Mighty (Dugums) Duguyale, of blessed memory, were targeted and killed with impunity are over. For there will be consequences if such acts of wanton violence are perpetrated against our people.

II. NPP Falsehoods and Partisan Meddling in the Bawku Crisis

Unlike NPP Chairman Lamptey’s partisan and selective condemnation of the violence in Bawku, we unreservedly, condemn ALL killings of ANY persons in Bawku, whether such victims are Kusasis, Mamprusis, Mosis, Bisas, Hausas, Yangas, or any members of the other ethnic groups that live in Bawku. We also condemn unreservedly the wanton destruction of property in the district. We do not condone violence as any such killings or destruction of property done in the name of the Kusasis is unacceptable.

We the Kusasis do not consider members of the other tribes in Bawku to be our enemies. In particular, the Mamprusis in Bawku are not our enemies. As a matter of fact, they are our brothers; sisters; uncles; aunts; grandparents; grand-uncles; grand-aunts; in-laws, and business partners. Indeed, there is probably no Mamprusi household in Bawku that does not have a Kusasi woman as a wife, or mother or grandmother. Conversely, there is no Kusasi village in Bawku that does not have a woman of Mamprusi lineage as a wife, or aunt or grandmother, etc. For all these reasons, we do not and can not condone the killing of anyone in Bawku, for if we so condone such killings we would in effect be condoning the killing of someone that is related to us in one way or the other, or the killing of someone that we know.

Regrettably, there are a few radical Mampusis in Bawku who for whatever reasons that they may harbor have consistently perpetrated violence in the municipality for a very long time. The NPP, instead of appealing to this minority to choose to live in peace with their neighbors, has instead decided through their chairman to openly support this minority and to fan the flames of violence currently engulfing Bawku. The NPP’s statement on the issue was full of outright lies and misrepresentations that served to harden the positions of the few who continue to perpetrate the violence in Bawku.

The current spate of violence in Bawku started under the watch of the NPP government which chose to do nothing about it because it was politically expedient to ignore the conflict. Taking on the Bawku Mamprusis at that time would certainly have cost the NPP government significant support among its Mamprusi political base in Bawku. For the NPP to state now through its current Chairman that they handled the issue in a non-partisan way when they were in government is most dishonest; and it gives them no credibility whatsoever. It may be recalled that the violence erupted in December 2007 during the NPP administration when some of the Bawku Mamprusis shot at some Kusasis who were celebrating a traditional festival. The NPP neither condemned the armed attacks nor took any steps to stem the community violence that ensued. Some of the Bawku Mamprusis interpreted the NPP government’s reluctance to intervene as an apparent endorsement of their actions and it emboldened them to engage in further acts of aggression. In one of the most horrendous episodes, a group of the Bawku Mamprusis dressed in military fatigues marched to a nearby Kusasi village in the dark of the night and slit the throats of women and children. Despite the extensive media coverage of these gruesome and barbaric acts, the NPP government remained silent.

Chairman Lamptey and the NPP must be reminded that it is morally wrong to encourage violence and the destruction of innocent lives for political gain. This is not only immoral, but it is also very dangerous. A party that aspires to govern the country again ought to be all inclusive and not preach divisiveness and hatred toward one group of people. The NPP ought to take note that in the last general elections in Ghana, they won parliamentary seats in areas of Bawku that have majority Kusasi populations. However, now that the NPP has declared their unconditional support for the Bawku Mamprusis, it has become apparent to the Kusasis that the NPP is biased against them and can not be counted upon to act in an impartial manner or even guarantee their safety should the NPP govern the country in the future. This reality is of major concern to the Kusasis majority in Bawku. It is also a development that could cost the NPP significant Kusasi support in future elections. The NPP must wake up to the realization that Kusasis and the Bawku Mamprusis are each not politically monolithic as evidenced by the presence of both Kusasis and Bawku Mamprusis in the CPP, UNC, NDC and NPP. For example, the current Binduri (NPP) MP, Hon. Stephen Yakubu is a Kusasi, and conversely, Mr. Jambedu Awuni of blessed memory (a Bawku Mamprusi) stood for Parliament on the CPP ticket. Additionally, John Ndebugre, a prominent Kusasi is a member of the NPP.

III. Lack of Effective NDC Government Intervention

Mr. Lamptey’s insinuation that the present government supports the Kusasis is preposterous. He has offered no proof whatsoever for his claim. To the contrary, the Kusasis have become rather disappointed with the present NDC government’s handling of the Bawku crisis.

The Attah-Mills administration has more or less towed the same policy regarding the situation in Bawku as the Kuffuor government did. Those fomenting trouble have always sought to create the false impression that they have a valid claim to the chieftaincy in Bawku. In the face of such falsehoods, the most appropriate and effective response from a responsible government determined to deal with the crisis would be to issue a formal government statement reiterating that the chieftaincy matter has been determined judicially: by a Commission of Inquiry decision in 1957; a Court odf Appeals ruling in 1958; and finally, a Supreme Court decision in 2003. Significantly, in its 2003 ruling, the Supreme Court not only ruled against the Bawku Mamprusis, but admonished and warned them not to come back to the Court with that issue.

For fear of losing political support from the Bawku Mamprusis, the Kuffuor administration refrained from issuing a formal statement on the finality of the judicial determination of the Bawku chieftaincy. However, it is the reticence of the current NDC government in the face of the unprecedented degree of violence and deteriorating security in Bawku that is most perplexing. The failure of the current government to openly underscore the finality of the judicial determination has fed into the continued false claim of some of the Bawku Mamprusis to the Bawku chieftaincy; or the delusion that if they continue to create sufficient chaos in the Bawku district, the chieftaincy matter would eventually be re-opened or even reversed.

The current government’s decision not to pursue the recommended course of action may be an indication of the low priority with which the government views the plight of the people of Bawku. The government’s inaction in effect has provided a carte blanche to the criminal element in the town to continue targeting and killing individuals with impunity. For in which country in this world would a serious problem such as the one engulfing Bawku now erupt in any part of the country and that country’s leader would not even take note of the situation and make a public statement about it? The NDC government has been in office since January 2009; and the violence in Bawku has persisted and yet up to date, the President has not found it necessary to address the nation on the violence and to openly announce measures to bring an end to the violence.

Accordingly, to stem the tide of the violence, we call on the President of Ghana, Professor Mills, as a matter of the highest priority, to state publicly that the Bawku chieftaincy matter has been settled and to ask all well-meaning and peace-loving people to respect the judicial decisions and the laws of Ghana. Further, the government authorities should desist from all actions that tend to legitimize these illegal acts and embolden the Bawku lawbreakers. Specifically, the authorities should refrain from referring to any person in Bawku as a Mamprusi “chief” (the title “elder” is however, acceptable). Furthermore, government authorities should desist from paying official courtesy calls on any person in Bawku claiming to be a “Bawku regent.” Because there is a recognized chief in Bawku, the use of the title “regent” to refer to any other person would be inappropriate to the extent that the term refers to an interim ruler pending the installation of a chief.

IV. Peaceful Co-existence and Cooperation for Mutual Development

The Bawku district, which stretches from Widyanga in the Togo border, to Ayuga in the Burkina Faso border, to Zangweyiri in the Gambaga border to Tili in the Frafra Border has become a ghost district. Due to the problem of insecurity, commerce has basically ground to a halt in Bawku, a once thriving business district. On a regular basis one hears depressing news of the closings of numerous business entities including banks and major trading posts. Meanwhile, the government has continued to inflict severe suffering through the daily curfews imposed on the people. The population of the district which is made up largely of farmers and traders are not able to tend to their farms or go about their business in the markets under these circumstances and have been reduced to abject poverty.

To prevent the situation from further spiraling out of control, we the people of Bawku must all resolve to live in peace and contribute our various quotas towards the development of our once-vibrant district. We all know that the government can not do everything for us. If we wait for government’s help, we will never get there. As one people with a common destiny (Kusasis and Mamprusis together) who are interrelated, we should all unite. Let’s come together against the criminals who are taking advantage of our disunity to kill our people. Posterity will not judge us kindly if we fail to come together and bequeath a peaceful and vibrant town to our children and our children’s children.

Accordingly, we wish peace unto each and every native of Bawku in particular, and to all Ghanaians in general.

David Awini, MD Chairman, Kusasis in the Diaspora.