Mahama Ayariga
Majority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has urged the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin, to prioritise addressing escalating insecurity in northern Ghana before turning attention to international peace mediation efforts.
His comments come after Speaker Bagbin’s recent appointment to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Task Force on the peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war, a global diplomatic role that places him among eight distinguished parliamentarians leading parliamentary efforts towards ending the conflict.
Speaking at a meeting with members of the diplomatic community in Parliament, Mr. Ayariga welcomed the Speaker’s new international mandate but stressed that violent tensions and recurring unrest in parts of the north require urgent, high-level attention.
“We have a major problem with our peace in the north. My constituency and the entire half of the region covering six constituencies have witnessed major instability in the past several years, and it has intensified a bit,” he said.
Mr. Ayariga disclosed that he has already engaged the Speaker on the matter, urging him to pay closer attention to emerging security threats back home.
“Before he goes to Ukraine, I think he should check his own neighbourhood and then let’s see how we can work together to deal with the peace situation in the north,” he stated.
The Bawku Central MP lamented that underlying tensions relating to land ownership, traditional authority, and chieftaincy disputes continue to simmer without proactive intervention.
“Most of the underlying issues are really about land and who is entitled to rule over which areas,” he noted, warning that delays in addressing root causes have historically allowed disagreements to escalate into violent conflict.
To address the situation, Mr. Ayariga revealed plans by the Northern Caucus in Parliament to convene a regional peace conference and engage development partners, including the United Nations, to help facilitate dialogue among traditional leaders, community stakeholders, and security actors.
“The early warnings are always there. We just don’t act on them until they erupt,” he stressed.
Speaker Bagbin’s appointment to the IPU Task Force has been widely praised, with the IPU President citing his “integrity, impartiality, and ability to build trust with all parties.”
The Task Force, established in March 2022, has held more than thirteen meetings and led initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue between Ukrainian and Russian parliamentarians.
However, for Mr. Ayariga and the Northern Caucus, Ghana’s own stability must remain a priority, cautioning that Ghana could not wait for tension to turn into a crisis.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House