The Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has cautioned that the Bawku chieftaincy issue must not be allowed to override the national interest of the country.
According to Prof Kwesi Aning, any chieftaincy issue that sets to compromise the safety of the State must be resolved by employing political powers.
Speaking on Newsfile, he said, “no single chieftaincy must and can supersede the national interest of the sovereign people of the Republic of Ghana.”
He told the host Samson Lardy Antenini that “any chieftaincy issue that becomes problematic to such an extent that the state survival becomes an issue must be dealt with by all the extraordinary political powers.”
This comes after the overlord of the Mamprugu, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga on Wednesday, enskinned Seidu Abagre Kulugu as chief of Bawku.
The enskinment ceremony was done at Nayiri’s Palace in Nalerigu. In response, the government condemned the purported enskinment, adding that it was illegal and a threat to national security.
The government further reiterated that Naba Asigri Abugrago Azorka II was the Bawku Naba duly gazetted and a member of the national and upper-east regional houses of chiefs.
A statement signed and issued by the Information Minister said the security agencies had been directed to arrest and prosecute any other person who holds himself out as a Bawku Naba.
However, the North East Regional Security Council has rejected the government’s directive to arrest and prosecute persons involved in the purported enskinment of a new Bawku Naba in Nalerigu.
Meanwhile, Prof Aning said that worried about the North East REGSEC’s rejection of the government’s directive to prosecute persons involved in the purported enskinment of a rival chief at Bawku. He explained that the rejection of the directive creates uncertainties amid the conflicts ensuing in Bawku.
Also, experts have recommended further investigations into the conflicts to ensure peace reign in the Upper East regional capital.
Also on the show, Conflict and Security Analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye raised concern about the government’s approach in the wake of the Bawku issues, especially regarding the enskinment of another chief.
According to him, the state ought to have known that there were preparations to enskin a new Bawku chief.
The expert explained further that the government should have anticipated that the enskinment of another chief would exacerbate the current chieftaincy issue in Bawku, adding that it should have deployed security forces to stop the enskinment process.
