Security analyst, Professor Emmanuel Kwesi Aning
Security analyst, Professor Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, has accused President John Dramani Mahama’s top security officials of providing him with inaccurate assessments of the chieftaincy crisis in Bawku—a conflict that has led to numerous deaths.
Speaking in an interview with Joy FM, monitored by GhanaWeb on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the outspoken expert said the security officers misinterpreted the situation, which led them to encourage the president to visit the troubled Upper East town.
“Our risk assessments have at best been hollow and at worst utterly disgraceful. What was concluded that encouraged His Excellency the President to go to Bawku triumphantly? It means that the security chiefs around the President misread the signals and gave him the impression that everything was fine—that we were on our way to peace. They told him that his presence would accelerate the peace process, and now everything has unraveled. So what happened?
“It would be appropriate for the President to call for an emergency meeting of critical minds to reassess the intelligence. I can bet you that by this time next year, if we continue using the same variables and approaches in our analysis, we’ll be having the same discussion. The various factions will be even stronger, more daring, and more prepared to challenge the authority of the Ghanaian state,” he stated.
This statement comes in the wake of renewed violence in Bawku. The Ghana Police Service has issued a wireless message raising the alarm over escalating attacks on its personnel and their families in Bawku and surrounding areas.
In response, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has ordered all personnel stationed in the region to wear full protective gear and move only under armored escort. He has also prohibited officers and their families from entering the area.
According to Prof. Aning, the police directive is an implicit acknowledgment that the security situation in Bawku has significantly deteriorated.
He further warned that reports of an attempted assassination of the IGP, coupled with the recent murder of two uniformed officers in Binduri, are clear indications of the growing boldness of armed groups.
“In operational terms, this sends a signal to those armed groups that they are gaining the upper hand—that the security forces are being cornered,” he said. “We need a dramatic shift in our operational tactics within the next 72 hours. Otherwise, I fear we will lose the initiative.”
KA
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