In what appears to be a surprising turn of commentary, Governance Analyst and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has made a passionate appeal to National Security to clamp down hard on what he describes as “sponsors and instigators” behind the persistent Bawku conflict.
Speaking on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show, the outspoken academic expressed deep frustration over the escalating violence in Bawku, claiming that certain individuals are deliberately fueling the unrest for their own selfish gains.
“The Bawku conflict is becoming unbecoming now. Every day, we wake up to hear that someone has been killed. Why? Who benefits from this chaos?” he asked pointedly.
Dr. Otchere-Ankrah insisted that it is inconceivable for such levels of violence to persist without well-placed individuals supplying arms and financial support. He questioned how civilians in a conflict zone could so easily access firearms and other offensive weapons, strongly implying that these tools of destruction are being supplied by powerful hidden hands.
“There are sponsors behind this. The guns don’t fall from the sky. Someone is aiding them,” he charged.
He did not spare the local factions involved in the conflict either, blasting their disregard for the broader consequences of the unrest. Dr. Otchere-Ankrah noted that continued attacks are endangering not only civilians but also security personnel and essential service providers, who may be forced to flee the town if the situation remains unstable.
“If you scare off the security and health workers, how do you expect to survive in the community?” he asked. “It is not good. It is really not good!”
In a controversial statement, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah called on the security forces to adopt a more aggressive approach in restoring law and order.
“If that’s what it takes, then let them use brute force. We must restore calm, whatever it takes,” he said, suggesting a zero-tolerance approach to what he sees as a deliberate disruption of peace in the region.
His comments, though well-intentioned from a national security perspective, have sparked conversations about human rights, justice, and the thin line between peace enforcement and excessive force.
As Bawku continues to grapple with decades-old tensions, calls like Dr. Otchere-Ankrah’s are likely to reignite debates on how best to address longstanding ethnic and territorial disputes without further inflaming the situation.
