Residents of the Tanzui Electoral Area are mounting a collective fight against drug dealers who have operated openly in their communities for decades, with broad support from elders and youth despite initial resistance from some quarters.
Michael Ayinne, Assembly Member for the area, told Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show that community members overcame fears of retaliation to participate in operations against dealers selling tramadol and marijuana at locations across Waribisi, Zorbisi, Socabisi and Tanzui.
“The community came up and I said, wow, then if that is the case, we are all thinking in the right direction,” Mr. Ayinne said. “So what we need to do is to stand up, wake up, it’s a wake-up call for us.”
Some residents initially hesitated to publicly support the campaign, fearing reprisals from dealers. Mr. Ayinne said people told him: “Honorable, I’m coming to tell you this, but I don’t want anybody to hear that it is me because they will definitely come for the person.”
The Assembly Member convinced participants that collective action was necessary despite the risks.
“I made them understand that, yes, they will definitely come for you. They will definitely have different ways of attacking you. But what we need to do is to save this community,” he said.
Community members who initially resisted the operations, particularly regarding marijuana, changed their positions after Mr. Ayinne explained how marijuana dealers create opportunities for tramadol sellers to enter the market.
“Others thought that the weed drug was normal,” Mr. Ayinne said. “After letting them understand how the weed sellers and the tramadol sellers operate, they now bought into the idea.”
The campaign has broader goals beyond removing dealers. Mr. Ayinne said the Tanzui community has long been stigmatized in Bolgatanga Municipality, first as violent and uneducated, and now as drug-infested.
“The greater aim is to bring sanity to the community,” Ayinne said. “The Tanzui community has been in the bad books of the municipality for so long.”
He cited the case of a senior high school student at Zuarungu Senior High School who used drug money disguised as school expenses from his mother, a pure water seller. The student was eventually expelled and is now at home.
“The respect that the community had already will come back. The lack of reasoning to know that education is key will be back again,” Ayinne said.
The Assembly Member particularly thanked community elders for their support and urged them to continue speaking out against the drug trade.
“I would like to use this opportunity to thank the elders of the community so, so much for their support,” he said. “There are certain voices that when they hear within the community, at least they will adhere to the points we are coming up with.”
Ayinne said he plans to engage with the Narcotic Control Commission to explore collaboration opportunities and will continue working with media and security services to address the problem.
“We are not coming to, as a matter of fact, saying that we are spoiling your business, but we are coming to make sure we bring sanity to the communities,” Ayinne said, acknowledging that even some dealers will ultimately appreciate a safer community.
Source: a1radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga
