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Joseph Ade Coker, former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has thrown his weight behind the Inspector-General of Police’s proposal to prioritize the recruitment of youth from Bawku into the Ghana Police Service. He believes the initiative could serve as a powerful step toward lasting peace in the conflict-ridden area.
Appearing on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, April 14, Mr. Coker underscored the need for sustainable employment opportunities in regions like Bawku, where escalating youth unemployment and a decline in agricultural activity have contributed to recurring violence.
“Most of the youth in the Bawku area are unemployed,” he stated. “In those areas, the birth rate is very, very high, and it is not commensurate to the employment situation. As they keep growing, they don’t get work to do. This is supposed to be a farming community, and unfortunately, because of drought, they have neglected the agricultural sector. So these are idle hands.”
His comments come in the wake of a visit by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, to Bawku on Friday, April 11. During the visit, the IGP revealed plans to give local youth priority in upcoming police recruitment exercises—provided they disarm and pledge their commitment to peace.
The IGP said a specialized recruitment team would be deployed to Bawku to lead the effort as part of broader initiatives aimed at stabilizing the area, which has long been plagued by inter-ethnic clashes.
While the proposal has sparked mixed reactions—with some critics pointing out that the root causes of the conflict are deeply rooted in ethnic and political history—Ade Coker sees the plan as a strategic path toward healing and national cohesion.
“I think the import of what the IGP is saying is to unite the two factions,” Coker explained. “Because if you have the Kusasis and the Mamprusis people working in the police force together, they understand themselves. They are able, through the training, to understand why the two of us must come together and work.”
He further suggested that national service and shared institutional experiences could provide a platform for young people from opposing sides to engage constructively, build mutual understanding, and help reduce longstanding tensions.
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