BAWKU WEST EX-DCE DEBUNKS RUMOURS ...(Page15)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Zebilla

The immediate past District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region, Mr Moses Abaare Appiah, has debunked rumours in the Bawku Municipality that the flag bearer of the ruling NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had promised to revert the Bawku chieftaincy title to the Mamprusis.
In a statement signed and issued at Zebilla, capital of the district, Mr Appiah described the rumours as not only baseless and unfounded, but also a ploy by politicians to tarnish the hard-won reputation and good image of the NPP presidential candidate for the 2008 general elections.
“The Bawku Chieftaincy problem is well known to many in the country, especially the people of Bawku as the Supreme Court, after hearing the case, gave a ruling in favour of Abugrago Azoka Asigri II, the legitimate and recognised Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area Mr Appiah said ”.
He said it should be made clear that the NPP flag-bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo had no hand in the conflict, which erupted at Bawku between the Mamprusis and Kusasis so no political party should peddle that unsubstantiated and baseless rumour.
Mr Appiah recalled that in previous conflicts that erupted in the area, the late Madam Hawa Yakubu was blamed for the conflicts. He therefore said he found it more intriguing that now that the late MP for Bawku Central was no more, the issue had taken a different twist with the NPP flag-bearer being blamed as the one who had caused the conflict.
“This is the work of some politicians who only want to score cheap political points and cause mayhem in the area,” the statement said.
He said the NPP government, under the leadership of President Kufuor, had kept faith with the people by implementing pragmatic policies and programmes to create an enabling environment to improve the lives of people.
According to Mr Appiah, Nana Akufo-Addo was seeking to succeed  President Kufuor and continue what the party had already achieved, such as the peace Ghanaians had enjoyed for the past seven years, the people of the Kusasi Traditional Area being no exception.
He therefore called on residents of the Bawku Municipality, Bawku West and the Garu-Tempane districts to put behind them all tribal and ethnic differences and live in peace and unity. He urged them not to allow themselves to be deceived by ambitious and selfish politicians who are desirous of using them to destroy the tremendous and unprecedented development projects that in the area.
He alleged that the popularity of the opposition NDC in the area had waned so the party could only peddle rumours about the NPP flag bearer.
The former DCE, therefore, called on the people of the Kusasi Traditional Area to remain focused and resolute behind Nana Akufo-Addo to ensure that the NPP had a resounding victory, come December 2008.
In a related development, the Upper East Regional branch of BONABOTO, a union of citizens from Bolgatanga, Nabdam, Bongo and Tongo, have expressed its deep sorrow and concern over the recent bloody clashes that occurred between Mamprusis and Kusasis.
 “Bawku is a commercial town that has bright potential for rapid socio-economic development. The long-standing conflict has, however, retarded the development of the municipality. This has led to the outflow of resources as its citizens are now investing outside for obvious reasons,” the union asserted.
According to the Regional Chairman, Mr George Akundikiya, the conflict had wider socio-economic ramifications for the Upper East Region and the country as a whole because the hard working people of Bawku supplied the nation with many agricultural products.
“It was the expectation of BONABOTO that after the devastating flood had left in its wake destroyed houses, and the loss of livestock and crops, the people would have used this period to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives. Sadly, they are rather inflicting more pain and destruction on themselves,” he said.
He called on both sides to take stock of the past and the present clashes and realise that the use of arms had not advanced their cause.