Dr Charles Kwowe Nyaaba, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Akuafo Nketewa Company Limited, says the protracted Bawku conflict is crippling farming, destroying businesses and depriving families of their livelihoods.
He noted that farmers who previously cultivated onions, tomatoes, pepper, sorghum, rice, maize, and soybeans across Bawku Central, and Bawku West have either relocated or drastically reduced their operations, while businesses including banks continue to struggle under the insecurity.
“Nobody gains from this conflict. At the end of the day, both factions are losing. Their livelihoods, their families, and even the nation’s food supply are all being affected,” he said.
Dr Nyaaba made the remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a donation of food items by his company to final-year students of Bawku Senior High School and Bawku Senior High Technical School.
He reflected that “Bawku used to be a pride of Ghana” when it came to food production and animal husbandry.
He said: “Our company’s major business in fertilizer distribution, cereals production, and agro-input supply was heavily centered here. The popular Bawku red (onions from Bawku) is now being supplied by Burkinabes and Nigerians.”
However, “because of the conflict, Bawku has become a ghost town. This is partly attributed to Ghana now depending on Burkina for tomatoes and livestock.
“Nobody is winning from this conflict, farmers are losing, businesspeople are losing, the two tribal groups are losing, and Ghana as a whole is losing. The health situation is getting bad, and students are no more interested in traveling to Bawku for schooling.”
He explained that due to the insecurity, Akuafo Nketewa Company Limited, which was the business wing of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), had been forced to reduce its operations in Bawku and shifted attention to surrounding districts such as Pusiga, Tempane, Garu, and Zebilla.
“Most of our members who used to farm in Bawku have relocated. The few who remain are constantly complaining of difficulties. Businesses cannot operate freely, and farmers cannot transport their produce without fear. This situation has made life unbearable for many,” Dr Nyaaba lamented.
He said the impact of the conflict went beyond farming to affect education, trade, and other aspects of social life, noting that even schools had not been spared and many parents were no more interested in sending their wards to attend schools in Bawku, with recent reports of attacks on students and staff.
Dr Nyaaba appealed to opinion leaders, traditional authorities, youth groups, government authorities, and all stakeholders to intensify efforts at dialogue and reconciliation adding that peace was the only path to restoring stability and prosperity in the area.
He emphasised that “the peace and justice we are seeking cannot come from outside, we have to reflect deeper and see who is paying the price for all of this. If we don’t sit down and let sleeping dogs lie, it’s the future of the unborn generations we are trading with”.
“Without peace, there cannot be meaningful development. Businesses cannot thrive, farming cannot progress, health situation will worsen, and academic work will continue to suffer. We must all raise our voices and demand peace in Bawku,” he stressed.
He noted that Akuafo Nketewa’s donation of food items to the schools was not just a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative but also a symbolic call for unity and stability.
“We cannot abandon our people in Bawku. This gesture is our way of saying we stand with them and also of calling for peace so that everyone can go back to their farms, businesses, and normal lives,” he said.
Akuafo Nketewa Company is a limited liability agribusiness firm dedicated to delivering innovative agribusiness solutions within Ghana’s agricultural value chain, with a special focus on supporting smallholder farmers across Ghana by providing them with inputs, mechanisation services, and market access.
Source: GNA
The post Bawku conflict disrupting farming, livelihoods – Dr Nyaaba appeared first on Ghana Business News.
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