The Bawku Mamprusi Youth Association has called on the Ghana Police Service and National Security to release elders of Nayiri arrested on Wednesday morning at Bawku on their way to Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
In a press statement by Awudu Seidu, President of the Association, the group noted that the Military under the command of Lt. Col. Mintah together with the Regional Police Command lured these elders to their arrest under the pretext of providing them security.
“This action by the security who are supposed to be neutral and fair in their work is very unprofessional and has already eroded the trust between us and them.” The statement noted
According to the group, the arrested elders of Nayiri are peace loving citizens who have not committed any crime and should be released immediately.
“We wish to remind the security that, the arrest of these elders is a direct affront on the authority of the Nayiri of Mamprugu who is the ruler of the oldest Kingdom in Ghana.”
Read the FULL statement below.
We, by this statement, unequivocally call on the Ghana Police Service/National Security to with immediate effect unconditionally release elders of Nayiri arrested earlier today in Bawku on their way to Bolga. In this regard, we wish to make the following observations:
1. It is a matter of great concern to us that the Military under the command of Lt. Col. Mintah together with the Regional Police Command lured these elders to their arrest under the pretext of providing them security. This action by the security who are supposed to be neutral and fair in their work is very unprofessional and has already eroded the trust between us and them.
2. The arrested elders of the great Nayiri are peace loving citizens who have not committed any crime and should be released immediately. We wish to remind the security that, the arrest of these elders is a direct affront on the authority of the Nayiri of Mamprugu who is the ruler of the oldest Kingdom in Ghana.
3. We wish to send a strong signal to the Government that we the Mamprusi Youth who have toiled and worked for the NPP since its formative days as the UP will advice ourselves accordingly. It is our contention that the disrespect to the Nayiri of Mamprugu in this matter is the peak of all disrespect and suffering that the loyal Mamprusi Youth have suffered under the NPP Government. We call on our brothers and sisters in other parts of the great Mamprugu Kingdom to advice themselves accordingly with regards to the NPP Government and their 2024 agenda.
4. Our attention has also been drawn to a letter signed by the Upper East Regional Coordinating Director Alhaji Mahamudu Assibi Azonko granting permission for the lifting of the ban on “smock” wearing to allow Kusasis celebrate their Samanpiid festival. It will be recalled that the wearing of smocks was banned indefinitely in the Bawku area on 23rd November, 2021 due to security concerns as stated by the REGSEC. Thus, to temporarily lift the ban and give preference to the Samanpiid ahead of peace is a grievous crime which the Regional Minister and the Coordinating Director have to answer to immediately.
Furthermore, we wish to bring to the attention of Ghanaians that the temporal lifting of the ban was used by an operative of the Kusasis called Bawah Sunday to smuggle a gun to shoot 2 Mamprusi men who were at the market looking for their daily bread. We, therefore, call on Government to immediately dismiss the Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu and reassign the Coordinating Director.
In conclusion, we wish to reiterate our calls on Government to with immediate effect release Nayiri’s elders and send a delegation to apologize to the Nayiri for the sacrilegious actions of the police/National Security.