The caution by First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor against partisan commentary over the killing of eight Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso is timely and necessary. When innocent citizens lose their lives in a brutal attack, Parliament must rise above party lines and speak with one voice.
This is not an NPP issue.
This is not an NDC issue.
This is a Ghanaian issue.
The murder of our traders by suspected jihadists exposes deeper structural and security concerns that require maturity, not political scoring.
Yes, accountability matters. Rev. Ntim Fordjour raises a valid concern about travel advisories. Governments must proactively warn citizens about security threats in neighboring countries. Early advisories save lives.
Yes, development planning also matters. Samuel Atta Mills equally touches on a strategic issue, agricultural self-sufficiency. If irrigation systems like the Pwalugu Dam had been fully realized and effectively utilized, perhaps Ghana would not depend so heavily on tomato imports from Burkina Faso. Food security is national security.
But here is the deeper truth:
When tragedy strikes, timing is everything.
There is a difference between constructive oversight and politicizing grief. Families are mourning. Traders are afraid. Border communities are anxious. What they need now is assurance, compensation, security reinforcement, and diplomatic engagement, not parliamentary crossfire.
This incident exposes three urgent national questions:
Why are Ghanaian traders compelled to risk their lives crossing insecure borders for basic commodities?
How prepared is Ghana for spillover terrorism from the Sahel?
Are our agricultural and irrigation policies truly aligned with reducing import dependence?
If Ghana claims to be sovereign, then sovereignty must show in food security, border intelligence, and citizen protection.
Parliament must investigate:
Cross-border security coordination with Burkina Faso
Strengthening northern intelligence operations
Expediting local irrigation and tomato production projects
Establishing emergency support funds for traders operating in high-risk zones
The call for unity is not a call for silence. It is a call for responsible leadership.
In moments like this, Ghana must speak as one nation.
Our condolences go to the bereaved families. May justice be pursued diplomatically and decisively. And may this tragedy awaken us to act – not argue.
Boakye Stephen
Kumasi
Reporting for Ghana News Canada
