Buipewura Sounds Alarm Over Security Gaps, Drug Abuse
The Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area, and Vice President of the National House of Chiefs Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II, has sounded the alarm over growing security challenges and drug abuse among the youth, calling for urgent government intervention to protect lives, property and the future of communities in the Savannah Region.
The Paramount Chief made the call at the 18th Annual Damba Festival of the Buipe Traditional Area, dubbed BUDAFEST 2026, where he raised concerns over inadequate security personnel, weak patrol vehicles and insufficient firefighting capacity in Buipe.
Speaking on the theme, “Promoting Peaceful Coexistence as a Path to Sustainable Development,” Buipewura Jinapor II stressed that development could not be sustained in an environment characterised by violence, insecurity, mistrust and division.
The Vice President of the National House of Chiefs urged residents to embrace dialogue and lawful mechanisms for resolving disputes, warning that conflicts do not only destroy infrastructure but also undermine businesses, education, investment and the future prospects of young people.
Buipewura Jinapor II also expressed concern over the increasing misuse of social media and Artificial Intelligence, cautioning that misinformation and inflammatory messages could rapidly escalate minor disagreements into serious conflicts.
He called on the public to verify information before sharing it and urged traditional leaders, religious authorities, parents, teachers and the media to promote tolerance, responsible communication and peaceful coexistence.
Buipewura Jinapor II, however, reserved some of his strongest concerns for the growing problem of drug abuse among young people.
He described drug abuse as a serious threat to the future of the country, warning that it could fuel school dropout, unemployment, family breakdown, violence, crime and other forms of social disorder.
He called for a collective national response to the menace, insisting that the fight against drug abuse must go beyond law enforcement to include prevention, education, rehabilitation and the creation of meaningful opportunities for young people.
“Every young person we protect from drug abuse is a future we preserve,” he said, stressing that the time to act was now.
Turning to security, the Paramount Chief commended the Buipe District Police Command for its efforts in combating armed robbery, kidnapping and other criminal activities along major highways and roads within the area.
He said intelligence-led operations by the Police had also helped uncover and dismantle illegal drug networks within the Buipe District.
Despite these efforts, Buipewura Jinapor II said inadequate personnel, weak vehicles and insufficient motorbikes were undermining effective highway patrols and called for urgent government intervention.
He disclosed that he had released two acres of land to the District Assembly for the construction of a new District Police Headquarters.
He further revealed that he was personally constructing a police post at the Buipe Cattle Market, one of the major cattle markets in West Africa, to strengthen security around the facility.
The Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area also called for the establishment of another police post between Lito and Old Buipe to help close security gaps and curb criminal activities in the area.
With Buipe increasingly emerging as an industrial and commercial centre, Buipewura Jinapor II also warned that inadequate emergency-response capacity posed a major risk to lives and investments.
He appealed for a well-equipped Ghana National Fire Service station in Buipe, pointing out that the township hosts major facilities including the BOST Energies sub-station, Savannah Diamond Cement and a shea-nut processing factory, but has only one fire tender.
He said the situation was inadequate for a growing industrial hub strategically located along the Tamale-Kintampo corridor.
In another major intervention, Buipewura Jinapor II disclosed that he had released five acres of land to the Ghana Immigration Service for the construction of offices and accommodation facilities.
He appealed to the Interior Minister, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, to urgently address the security and emergency-response challenges confronting the Buipe Traditional Area.
The festival, which attracted chiefs, Queen mothers, government officials, Members of Parliament, security agencies, heads of institutions, media practitioners and other stakeholders, provided a platform for the traditional area to celebrate its heritage while drawing attention to critical development and security concerns.
Buipewura Jinapor II maintained that peace and development were inseparable, urging all stakeholders to make peaceful coexistence a way of life and a collective responsibility.
He said the future of the country depended largely on the choices being made today, particularly in protecting the youth, strengthening communities and creating an environment where development could thrive.
Source: nkilgifm.com
