The recent working visit by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohun, to the conflict town of Bawku was intended to promote peace. Instead, the visit has drawn some uneasy concerns from the public about what the IGP’s offer in return for peace.
During his address to the youth of Bawku, the IGP made a plea for them to lay down their arms and choose the path of peace. He further dangled a surprising incentive by suggesting that if they heeded the call , they would be prioritised for recruitment into the Ghana Police Service.
Although the IGP has since clarified that any recruitment into the service would follow due process and established protocols, the initial impression left in the minds of many was that jobs in the police service were now up for negotiation, to be traded for peace.
This is a dangerous precedent that must not be normalised.
The very core of the IGP’s message raises troubling questions about the principles that govern our national institutions. Are we now in the business of bartering peace with promises of employment? Is recruitment into a vital state institution like the Police Service to be used as a bargain in conflict resolution?
Crucially, will this same approach be adopted in other conflict-prone areas across the country?
What happens in regions afflicted by illegal mining areas, where armed gangs continue to defy state authority? Will similar promises be made to youth engaged in those illegal activities, to drop their tools in exchange for uniforms?
These questions are not rhetorical. They go to the heart of public trust in our national institutions. The Ghana Police Service must be, and must be seen at all material times to be a professional, neutral, and merit-based body. Recruitment into its ranks must be based on competence, character, and qualification, not proximity to conflict or potential for unrest.
We must consider the long-term implications of this approach as it risks incentivising disorder. If young people in one conflict zone believe that bearing arms can fast-track their entry into secure, salaried jobs, it is only a matter of time before others elsewhere draw similar conclusions.
The situation in Bawku is undeniably tragic and deeply complex. The conflict there is a longstanding and painful scar on our national conscience, a reminder that our narrative of peace and unity is still contested in some corners of the country.
Pragmatic and long-term solutions must be pursued with urgency and empathy. But those solutions must be rooted in justice, equity, and a commitment to the long-term healing of communities.
Transactional promises, no matter how well intentioned, cannot substitute for meaningful, inclusive peacebuilding. Indeed, they may undermine it.
The IGP’s remarks, though perhaps made in the heat of the moment or with good intentions, reflect a tone that is inconsistent with the ideals of professionalism and impartiality. His later clarification was necessary, but it does not erase the initial message or the mindset it implies.
Ghana has long been praised for its stable democracy and its professional security services. That reputation must not be compromised by short-term gestures that send the wrong signals to the youth or to other communities facing instability.
Peace must be pursued, yes ,but not at any cost. Not at the cost of fairness. Not at the cost of professionalism. And certainly not at the cost of incentivising conflict with the promise of state rewards.