BAZUA MILITARY CAMP INAUGURATED (PAGE 47, FEB 4, 2010)

A MILITARY barracks to ensure the permanent presence of soldiers in Bawku has been opened on the outskirts of the town by the Minister of Defence, Lieutenant-General J. H. Smith.
The facility, which is situated at Bazua, 15 kilometres from Bawku, was previously used by the Department of Animal Husbandry under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, but has been upgraded and reconfigured for the accommodation of soldiers in the conflict-prone area.
It includes an administration block, residential accommodation for three platoons, a supply depot, a military truck depot and a magazine.
A 250 KVA standby generator is also to be installed to provide back-up power supply for the camp.
Inaugurating the facility on Monday, Lt. Gen. Smith stated that the government’s intention to set up the barracks in the Upper East Region was to ensure a permanent military presence in the area to rapidly counter any outbreak of violence.
According to him, conveyance of military personnel by road or air over long distances was not only expensive, but also a major cause of delay, and since there was no immediate end to the Bawku conflict, the need to station troops in the area had become urgent.
It would also end the difficulty involved in transporting troops and logistics from the Airborne Force in Tamale, which is more than 200 kilometres away from Bawku.
The Minister for Defence said the inauguration of the facility marked another step forward in the search for peace in Bawku, adding that the establishment of the garrison in Bazua was not meant to serve Bawku alone, but also to serve as a base from where peacekeepers would be sent to any security flashpoints in the Upper East, Upper West and parts of the Northern Region close to Bawku.
The project was financed by the Regional Co-ordinating Council, the Bawku Municipal Assembly, district assemblies in the region, as well as the Ministry of Defence.
While pledging the commitment of the government to do all it could to halt the conflict in Bawku, Lt. Gen. Smith appealed to the parties in the conflict to seriously consider giving peace a chance.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, said the setting up of a military camp at Bazua came as a great source of relief, since the time spent travelling the long distance from Tamale to Bawku could always make the difference between success and failure to contain the situation in Bawku.
He was, however, quick to add that the establishment of the military barracks in Bazua was no guarantee that lasting peace would come to Bawku, adding that the peace that endured and lasted should originate from the hearts and minds of the two factions themselves.
The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Musa Abdulai, in a welcoming address, reminded the people of Bawku that the resolution of the conflict was in the hands of the people themselves, stressing that outsiders could only facilitate it.
“We should not expect anybody to impose peace on us. We should take advantage of the interventions and see reason with each other. Let us remain focused in our effort at ensuring that the relative peaceful atmosphere is maintained,” he said.
Earlier, the Defence Minister and his entourage had paid a courtesy call on the Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, and also called on the Elder of the Mamprusi community, Mr Akalifah Bugri, to brief them on the military installation.
Elder Akalifah, in his interaction with the delegation, said only a strong political will would bring about permanent peace in the area.