Minority in Parliament is calling out the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, over what they describe as a “reckless” and “dangerous” statement amid the ongoing Bawku conflict.

Speaking at a press conference on the crisis, Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh took direct aim at the IGP’s recent promise to give police recruitment priority to Bawku youth who lay down their arms. The statement, which has sparked sharp backlash, was delivered during COP Yohuno’s recent visit to the violence-stricken Upper East Region town.

“This is purported to be his first major public statement since becoming IGP, and it’s a misstep,” Annoh-Dompreh said. “To suggest that laying down arms could earn you a place in the police service is not only inappropriate, it’s dangerous. If this had come from anyone else, maybe it wouldn’t carry such weight. But from the IGP? The implications are serious.”

The Minority warns that such a message risks sending the wrong signal  potentially encouraging armed conflict in other parts of the country in hopes of receiving similar incentives.

“Are we now telling people elsewhere to pick up arms, just to get rewarded when they stop?” Annoh-Dompreh asked. “It undermines law enforcement and emboldens violent actors.”

The Bawku conflict, marked by years of sporadic violence, has flared up again in recent months. National efforts are intensifying to restore calm, with President John Mahama confirming that the peace mediation process led by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, will resume next week.

But as tensions simmer, critics say the IGP’s remarks have only added fuel to the fire.

Source:TheDotNews