James Agalga

The Upper East Regional Caucus in Parliament has appealed to chiefs, opinion leaders and residents at Bawku to foster peace and unity amidst the disturbances in the area.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa North, James Agalga called for calm among residents in the town.

“As the representatives of the people in the Upper East Region, we wish to seize this opportunity to appeal to chiefs, opinion leaders, civil society organizations, and all who matter in Bawku to work very hard towards fostering peace and unity. Law enforcement has been deployed following the imposition of curfew. They have done their utmost best to ensure relative calm has returned to Bawku,” he said.

The MP commended the Upper East Regional Security Council and other parties who have worked hard to restore peace and calm in the town.

The government, through the Ministry of Interior, on Wednesday, November 24 imposed a curfew on the Bawku Municipality and its environs in the Upper East Region due to insecurity threats.

A statement, signed by the Interior Ministry on December 1, 2021, noted that the curfew has been reviewed following consultation with the Upper East Regional Security Council.

The Ministry reviewed the curfew to start from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am as against the previous 4:00 pm to 6:00 am.

As part of measures to curb the insecurity in the municipality, the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council banned the wearing of smocks in the Bawku Township.

In a press statement, the Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, explained that the prohibition was meant to curb the use of smocks by “criminals or unscrupulous elements to hide arms and ammunitions and attack opponents or innocent civilians.”