File photo of a Ghana Card
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Zebilla, John Krugu, has expressed concerns over the alleged misuse of the Ghana Card amid the ongoing conflict at Bawku, claiming that it is being used to identify the tribal backgrounds of individuals.
He stated that residents are being targeted based on their tribal backgrounds, igniting tensions and leading to tragic outcomes.
According to a report by citinewsroom.com, he made the remarks on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, October 28, 2024 noting that the intensfying conflict had resulted in the deaths of persons who were not part of the primary ethnic groups, specifically Kusasis and Mamprusis.
“I am aware that people have not slept in the last two nights. It has been a full-fledged war ongoing, and now you have a situation where two factional chiefs are living next to each other. Bawku is not a big town and each side is aiming at getting to the other person, so you have an illegitimate chief who is sitting there, and then you have the existing chief who is celebrating 40 years on the throne, and then you have young men who are losing their lives.
“Last night, we got the message that there was no space to keep the injured at the Presbyterian Hospital, roads were blocked, and you cannot carry the injured to Bolgatanga for treatment. The roads between Bolga and Tamale were blocked, and people were being asked for their Ghana Cards to identify their tribal affiliation and to kill them.
“I am aware that some people who do not belong to the two tribes were mistakenly killed, and this is a sad situation that we are having,” he stated.
On Sunday, October 27, 2024, eight travellers lost their lives after gunmen blocked the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway near Gbimsi, a community close to Walewale, and opened fire on them.
According to reports, the passengers caught in the blockade faced interrogation over their identities, and in the deadly incident, approximately eight people were killed, while two vehicles were also set ablaze.
JKB/AE
Meanwhile, catch up on the latest episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV with Etsey Atisu as he caught with Philip Atawura, who just returned from a successful kidney transplant in India.
