The Ministry of National Security, has described as unfortunate the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga’s position on its GH¢2 million monthly allocation to address the Bawku senseless conflict.
According to the Ministry, the statements made by the MP of the area, could reignite tensions and endanger the lives of the personnel of state security and Intelligence agencies in the area.
Mr Mahama, had alleged that the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, was given GH¢6 million monthly by the Finance Ministry to manage the Bawku conflict.
Speaking on Woezor TV on Saturday, August 3, he said despite the huge sum of money allocated to the Ministry, there was no evidence of work done. Subsequently, he dared Mr Kan-Dapaah, to respond to his allegations.
However, the National Security Ministry in a statement released yesterday August 6, 2024, noted that it was “unfortunate and mistaken for Hon. Ayariga, who, given his position as a Member of Parliament, ought to be better informed about the complexities and necessities of national security operations, to politicise same.”
“Such statements have the potential to disinform and misinform the citizens of Bawku, reignite tensions, and endanger the lives of the personnel of state security and Intelligence agencies involved in the operations, and should, therefore, not be encouraged by well-meaning Ghanaians.”
The Ministry, said it was responsible for designing and coordinating security operations nationwide in collaboration with relevant security and intelligence agencies.
“In response to the sharp and troubling escalation of the inter-ethnic tensions in Bawku in 2021, which led to the tragic loss of hundreds of innocent lives, including women and children, displacement of people, and disruption of economic activities, the Ministry, as a matter of urgency, established a special operation in February 2023 to maintain peace in Bawku and its environs, as well as other areas in the North East Region affected and impacted by the conflict.”
“A budget allocation of GH¢6,000,000 per month was made to support these operations, which included a Special Task Force. These funds cover essential operational costs, such as fuel supplies for Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and other operational vehicles; the provision and delivery of food rations for personnel of the Task Force; special intelligence operations, and other civil-military activities aimed at building societal cohesion and stability in Bawku,” it further stated.
In line with the coordination and operational strategy for the management of the conflict, the Ministry noted that upon receipt of the funds, it distributes same to the participating security and intelligence agencies to support their logistics and personnel involved in the operations, with the core mandate of protecting the lives and livelihoods of all citizens in the area.
“We must emphasise further that these funds are part of the general operational budget for the Ministry. The Ministry is, however, compelled to allocate these amounts to maintain peace in Bawku, when they could have been invested, instead, in enhancing Ghana’s capability to build resilience against the dire security threats such as terrorism and violent extremism spreading across the West African region,” it added.
Mahama Ayariga, had raised startling allegations regarding the distribution and use of financial resources intended to address the ongoing security crisis in Bawku.
In an interview with Woezor TV, Mr Ayariga, claimed that the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, receives a hefty sum of 18 million Ghana Cedis quarterly, allegedly for managing the security situation in the region.
The MP asserts that this amount equates to a monthly disbursement of six million Ghana Cedis, given directly to the Minister “in the name of dealing with the Bawku security problem.”
The MP lamented that, while large sums of money flow into the Ministry, the local populace continues to suffer from severe insecurity and poverty, compounded by the challenges of curfews and ongoing unrest.
“While the people of Bawku are wallowing in poverty, we are sleeping under curfew, and as a result of a situation created largely by their misrepresentations to my people, they sign a fat cheque of 6 million Ghana Cedis every month,” Ayariga stated, questioning the accountability of these funds and their actual impact on improving security conditions in the region.
The MP attributed the escalating insecurities in Bawku to previous political promises made by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggesting that these commitments have largely remained unfulfilled.
Despite a justification by the National Security Minister on budgetary allocations for the Bawku conflict, a Security Analyst, Dr Victor Doke, has said that the explanation leaves much to be desired.
Dr Doke argued that the explanation lacks transparency.
“Now, what we need to know is how much was allocated to which specific activity undertaken by the military. When you look at the current situation, what pertains on the ground is only hibernated, but the main issue itself is not solved. We need specifics from the Ministry and that will be more assuring”, he asserted.
His comments come after the National Security Ministry defended the GHC6 million monthly allocation by the Ministry of Finance for dealing with the Bawku conflict.
The National Security Ministry explained that the amount covers essential operational costs, such as fuel supplies for Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and other operational vehicles.
This explanation comes following Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga questioning the propriety of such disbursements.
The MP, who subsequently spoke on 3FM on August 6, said the explanation is unsatisfactory.
“The explanation of the Ministry does not add up. We cannot allocate such an amount to the Ministry, and yet there is next to nothing to show. This explanation is not satisfactory and does not meet best practices,“ he said.
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