Opinions of Sunday, 31 August 2014

Columnist: Azindow, Alhassan Hadi

The security Apparatus in Bawku-A new strategy beckons you

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from:Alhassan Hadi Azindow.Bawku

Recent happenings within the Bawku municipality cast their
shadows in what we should expect in the not too distant future.
A shift from the direct combat of fighting to the sinister and
overt killing of inhabitants calls for a new security strategy
that will respond in equal measure to these barbaric acts.
The purpose of this piece is not to indict the military or any
particular group of people but to offer insights, albeit in a small way
that will assist resolve this recurring conflict.
My perspective of the recent sporadic gunshots that resulted in the
death of three persons is that these killings have little to do with the
ethnic tension and everything to do with the increasing proliferation
of small arms in the hands of very few many youthful miscreants.
There has been a significant increase in the misuse of firearms by
civilians.
The reason could be attributed to the easy accessibility and
availability of these small arms. And as long as these arms become
easily available, the more they fall in civilian hands and the more
dangerous lives are endangered. I do not have the technical
expertise and evidence to show, in percentage terms, the number of
unlicensed firearms available to these assailants but the evidence of
our senses is enough to tell us that they are increasing each day and
out.
One would be tempted to ask why civilians would want to own a
firearm. The answer lies in the fact that people feel vulnerable and
are therefore arming themselves to fill the void left by the failure of
the security apparatus to protect them.
The idea is that possessing a weapon guarantees one of their safety
and security of their immediate family. This insecurity is as result of
the mistrust and a feeling of injustice by the affected communities
and the state security apparatus.
I would therefore, on the basis of what I have observed, call on our
hardworking security men to block the flow of these weapons by
whatever means possible and also attempt at building confidence
among themselves on one hand and the inhabitants of Bawku on the
other. They should also address the yawning disconnect of
communication between themselves and the people they are trained
to protect.
I pray for an enduring solution to the troubles of the business town
of Bawku and I also implore well meaning Ghanaian s to collectively
assist our security apparatus apprehend criminals.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "ModernGhana.com"
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 19:18:34 +0200
Subject: Re: The Security Apparatus In Bawku—A New Strategy Beckons You
To: azindowhadi29@gmail.com

Dear Author,

I wish to inform you that, The Security Apparatus In Bawku-A New
Strategy Beckons You is published.
http://www.modernghana.com/news/565626/1/the-security-apparatus-in-bawkua-new-strategy-beck.html



Best Regards

Editorial & Publishing Team
Website: www.modernghana.com
Email: editor@modernghana.com