Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has tackled the defense minister over what he says is his failure to visit military personnel who were deployed to Bawku for over a year.
According to Mahama Ayariga, the security personnel raised concerns over the absence of Dominic Nitiwul in the area since they were deployed to help deal with the crisis, and he (Mahama Ayariga) reached out to the minister to share their complaints.
Ayariga’s comments follow an earlier statement he read on the floor of the house. He, among other things, called on parliament to look into military brutalities and the operational style for settling the crisis in Bawku.
Reacting to this, Dominic Nitiwul suggested that Mr. Ayariga wouldn’t have read such a statement if he had met him to have discussions about the situation and with the military command.
Mahama Ayariga in response said the Minister’s statement was personal and that he (Mahama Ayariga) had earlier told him that he was out of the country and informed the minister that he was unavailable for a proposed meeting the minister had suggested in recent times.
For Mr. Ayariga, Dominic Nitiwul’s comments were not justified considering the Bawku crisis had been ongoing for over a year and such a meeting could have been held earlier if he indeed wanted a quick solution.
He said; “…when was the first time he went to Bawku, it is on record, more than a year until the soldiers were complaining that you the defence minister and Interior minister have never visited them and I brought the complain to you. Now you sit here and tell me that the soldiers and the police were complaining that you were never visiting them. You brought them to come (Bawku) they are being exposed to death and you their commander never stepped foot there to see them, please let's not talk personally here. I have sat down quietly and listened not because I do not have responses.
Mahama Ayariga who is concerned about the constant military brutality on both sides in the conflict, a recent one which led to the killing of 6 people last week, tasked the minister to go to Bawku and get hands-on information on the matter.
“Mr Speaker, where they killed the people. I am pleading with you, go there, go and see with your naked eyes,” he added.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has said that the current conflict in Bawku should not be blamed on the chieftaincy dispute because it is a criminal matter.
According to the minister, the issue is a criminal act committed by criminals that must be dealt with harshly.
In response to Mr. Mahama Ayariga’s statement on the floor of Parliament on the issues confronting Bawku, Mr. Nitiwul stated that the ministry’s position is to allow the Ghana Armed Forces to deal with them as pure criminals.
