John Krugu, the NPP parliamentary candidate for Zebilla, has voiced alarming concerns that the Ghana Card is being weaponised to identify individuals by their tribal affiliations amid the escalating Bawku conflict, reportedly leading to violent deaths.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Krugu alleged that people are being asked to present their Ghana Cards at roadblocks to reveal their ethnicity—a practice he claimed has resulted in tragic killings.
In the wake of intensifying violence, Bawku’s Presbyterian Hospital is overwhelmed by casualties, with critically injured patients unable to be transferred to Bolgatanga as the roads are blocked.
Mr. Krugu stated that the conflict’s impact has reached beyond the Kusasis and Mamprusis, affecting individuals unaffiliated with the primary factions.
“People are using the Ghana Card to single out others by tribe, and it’s led to innocent lives being lost,” Mr. Krugu warned. “We’ve received reports of victims being killed simply because they were identified by their tribal group through the Ghana Card.”
This tragic conflict recently claimed the lives of eight travellers on the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway near Gbimsi. Gunmen reportedly blocked the road, interrogating and attacking passengers, torching two vehicles, and sparking critical security concerns.
In response, additional police and military forces have been deployed to Bawku to curb further escalation and restore order to the region.