Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Prof Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, has served notice that his outfit will consider relocating both the Presbyterian Hospital and the Nursing and Midwifery Training College all in Bawku to the regional capital, Bolgatanga if the conflict persists.
Speaking during a sermon as part of an eight-day pastoral visit to the Upper Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Moderator observed that the conflict was having a heavy toll on the operations of both the Hospital and Nursing and Midwifery Training College.
For the college, Rt. Rev. Prof. Yeboah mante stated that all the first-year students have had to be moved to Bolgatanga and housed in a rented place to continue with academic work over safety concerns. The second- and third-year students who were programmed to return to school on the 15th March 2022 have also been relocated to Bolgatanga to continue with studies at a rented place whiles managers observed the conflict situation.
The situation is posing a heavy financial burden on the authorities and the church since they have to spend extra to accommodate and cater for the needs of the students at the rented places.
His revelation comes days after conflict broke out in Bawku leading to the loss of lives and property. The situation escalated in the early days of March, 2022 with the latest being a military civilian clash. This has left scores of civilians and three army officers injured.
The Bawku Presbyterian Hospital remains critical to quality health care delivery in the Upper East Region, serving as the major referral centre for fractures and severe bone injury and other deformities. The facility also receives cases from Pushiga, Garu, Tempane and surrounding communities.
He therefore appealed to the people of Bawku to understand that meaningful development cannot be achieved in the midst of conflict and ethnic intolerance. He admonished the people of Bawku to see themselves us God’s children first and one people with a common destiny.
“We have to pay the staff, we have to pay electricity so because of crises, we have been forced to move the students to Bolgatanga. We don’t want to be pushed to move the school and the hospital away from the place. So, I want to plead with all the people who think that their tribes are more than Ghana to repent so that development can go on. If we are not careful, we in Ghana will be left behind just because we think we love our tribes so much”. He stated while saying a prayer requesting for peace in the embattled area.
