AYARIGA INCITES KUSASIS…Bawku Women Charge

Contrary to statements from the press secretary of President Mills, Mahama Ayariga, to the effect that there is a relative peace and calm in Bawku Central, Hajia Gbewu, an influential woman in the constituency disagrees and believes actions of the former Bawku MP is rather inflaming passions in the volatile Bawku disturbances. Until the 2008 elections, Mahama Ayariga was the MP for Bawku Central.

Hon. Mahama Ayariga

TODAY gathered from an interview with Hajia Gbewu, who is the leader of a Bawku based Women’s Organization- Women Dimensional Front (WDF) that Ayariga’s over zealousness to reclaim the Bawku seat is driving him to the level of absurdity, thereby flouting measures drawn up by the Upper East Regional Security Council to ensure peace in Bawku and its environs.

Hajia Gbewu and other women members of her group stormed Parliament last Friday to petition the House on their allegations and also to seek further clarification in the matter involving the MP for the area, Adamu Daramani, whose legislative status was recently nullified by the courts on grounds that he holds Ghanaian and British nationality.

According to Hajia Gbewu, Mahama Ayariga is fueling the ethnic tension in Bawku by identifying himself with the Kusasis against the other major dominant Mamprugu tribe. She wondered why a senior government official like Mahama Ayariga should adopt such a partisan and antagonistic posture against a group that he rightly lays a claim to.

TODAY found out from some members of the group that the Presidential Press Secretary has a dual lineage to both the Kusasis and the Mamprugus. He has the rare privilege of having his parents from the two main ethnic groups.

With the apparent backing of Mahama Ayariga, the women said the Kusasis are flouting police directive that all motor bikes should not be seen after 6:00 p.m., claiming that Ayariga was using some security operatives to back the violent Kusasi group.

“The actions of these few violent Kusasi young boys are so glare that we wonder why nobody is bringing them to book”, Hajia Gbewu charged.

According to Hajia Gbewu, “Bawku is one family which traces its root to one person” and therefore found it very strange, the behaviour being exhibited by Mahama Ayariga which she noted, has brought about intense tension in the area.

She explained that it was in this respect that the constituents have fiercely not supported Ayariga’s bid to win the Bawku Central seat. She said their (the constituents) reason is simple: ‘It will heighten the already volatile situation in the constituency.”

Continuing, Hajia Gbewu advised Ayariga to act maturely, by backing off from issues that have the potential of derailing the peace in Bawku.

“When we first voted him into office our belief was based on the reasoning that he will serve as a unifier, and help bring all of us together, but that was not the case”, adding that “ it was during the tail end of Ayariga’s tenure as MP that he was seen actively performing his duties as a legislator.”

“This strategy was adopted by Ayariga to basically lure people to return him to office but that unfortunately, did not work for him,” she emphasized.

BY KELVIN ADU-TWUM PEPRAH AND LINDA BEBIYE