President John Evans Atta Mills has reiterated the government’s commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability in Bawku and its surrounding communities.
The President gave the assurance at a meeting with the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Abugrago Asigri Azoka II, at Bolgatanga last Wednesday as part of his two-day visit to Upper East Region.
President Atta Mills said the recurrent conflict in Bawku had adversely impacted on major development projects in the area and resulted in the government spending huge sums of money to maintain peace and security while the security personnel on operational duties in the area were also spending precious time at their peril to bring the situation under control.
The President, therefore, appealed to the opinion leaders in the area to lend their support to the government’s effort to secure peace and security in the area.
The achievement of peace and security, the President said, was crucial for the people to move freely and use their energies to engage in productive activities to ensure that they had better and fulfilling lives.
President Atta Mills said the government was committed to building a better Ghana but indicated that such an objective could not be achieved in the midst of confrontations and insecurity.
Responding, the Bawku Naba said Bawku had not known peace for some time now and it was time to deal effectively with the situation.
Naba Azoka said the conflict was not a chieftaincy issue because that had been settled in the law courts and appealed to anybody who had a problem to seek redress in the courts.
He added that there was tension at Bawku partly because the people could not move freely; a situation which had deprived them of the opportunity to conduct their businesses.
He said he attended the meeting with the President because he wanted to share ideas on how to find a lasting solution to the conflict with him
After the initial courtesies and exchange of ideas, the President and the Bawku Naba retired into a closed-door session for further discussions.
The President also addressed a meeting of opinion leaders of the Mamprusi community at Bolgatanga yesterday and reiterated the government’s neutrality in the Bawku conflict, maintaining that the government which he led would never take sides in the conflict.
“The only side that this government is on is the side of peace, tranquillity and stability,” he said, and charged the opinion leaders to support the government in its efforts to bring permanent peace to the area.
President Atta Mills said nobody was happy about the situation in Bawku where for more than a year now people had lived under a curfew.
He said the solution lay partly on the government and the people, adding that the government would ensure that anyone who broke the law was arrested and dealt with.
President Atta Mills said Bawku had great potential in terms of developments and urged the people to partner the government in its bid to attract more investments to the area.
He, therefore, appealed to factions in the dispute to put an end to the conflict and support the government in that effort.
The President commended the establishment of an inter-ethnic peace committee comprising both Kusasis and Mamprusis in the area to examine steps at ending the conflict in the area and appealed to the people to support the work of the committee.
The leader of the Mamprusi community, Mr Akalifah Bugri, commended the President for inviting them to a meeting to deliberate on the way forward for Bawku.
He said the problems of Bawku dated back many years, adding that a number of interventions to bring it under control had failed because truth, the key element in fostering peace, was absent.
He proposed that apart from holding separate sessions with the sides involved in the conflict, the government should also meet both sides at a round table to passionately discuss the issue and map out the way forward.
Mr Akalifah identified chieftaincy and inaccessibility to land by the Mamprusis as some of the undertones of the conflict and appealed to the government to help resolve the conflict.
Earlier, a delegation of chiefs from the eastern corridor of the Kassena-Nankana-West District had called on the President to petition the government to heed their request for a separate district as a matter of fairness.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Roger Atasige, asserted that as far back as the 1970s, seven villages, including Manyoro, Natugnia, Nabango, Yua, Kandiga, Sirigu and Mirigu had been requesting through democratic means for a separate district and constituency but their requests had been turned down.
He, therefore, appealed to the President to act on their concern.
Responding, the President said the government would critically study the issue and ensure that once all the requirements were met as stipulated by law, their concerns would be taken on board.
“Government work within certain rules and regulations and we want to take decisions that are informed by the provisions of the laws,” he said.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, commended the group for the peaceful and democratic way they presented their request and intimated that their concerns would be thoroughly looked at.
Present at both meetings were a Member of the Council of State, Very Rev Jacob Ayeebo, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni; the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. Joseph Smith; the Interior Minister, Mr Cletus Avoka; the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, and other party executive members.
The President gave the assurance at a meeting with the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Abugrago Asigri Azoka II, at Bolgatanga last Wednesday as part of his two-day visit to Upper East Region.
President Atta Mills said the recurrent conflict in Bawku had adversely impacted on major development projects in the area and resulted in the government spending huge sums of money to maintain peace and security while the security personnel on operational duties in the area were also spending precious time at their peril to bring the situation under control.
The President, therefore, appealed to the opinion leaders in the area to lend their support to the government’s effort to secure peace and security in the area.
The achievement of peace and security, the President said, was crucial for the people to move freely and use their energies to engage in productive activities to ensure that they had better and fulfilling lives.
President Atta Mills said the government was committed to building a better Ghana but indicated that such an objective could not be achieved in the midst of confrontations and insecurity.
Responding, the Bawku Naba said Bawku had not known peace for some time now and it was time to deal effectively with the situation.
Naba Azoka said the conflict was not a chieftaincy issue because that had been settled in the law courts and appealed to anybody who had a problem to seek redress in the courts.
He added that there was tension at Bawku partly because the people could not move freely; a situation which had deprived them of the opportunity to conduct their businesses.
He said he attended the meeting with the President because he wanted to share ideas on how to find a lasting solution to the conflict with him
After the initial courtesies and exchange of ideas, the President and the Bawku Naba retired into a closed-door session for further discussions.
The President also addressed a meeting of opinion leaders of the Mamprusi community at Bolgatanga yesterday and reiterated the government’s neutrality in the Bawku conflict, maintaining that the government which he led would never take sides in the conflict.
“The only side that this government is on is the side of peace, tranquillity and stability,” he said, and charged the opinion leaders to support the government in its efforts to bring permanent peace to the area.
President Atta Mills said nobody was happy about the situation in Bawku where for more than a year now people had lived under a curfew.
He said the solution lay partly on the government and the people, adding that the government would ensure that anyone who broke the law was arrested and dealt with.
President Atta Mills said Bawku had great potential in terms of developments and urged the people to partner the government in its bid to attract more investments to the area.
He, therefore, appealed to factions in the dispute to put an end to the conflict and support the government in that effort.
The President commended the establishment of an inter-ethnic peace committee comprising both Kusasis and Mamprusis in the area to examine steps at ending the conflict in the area and appealed to the people to support the work of the committee.
The leader of the Mamprusi community, Mr Akalifah Bugri, commended the President for inviting them to a meeting to deliberate on the way forward for Bawku.
He said the problems of Bawku dated back many years, adding that a number of interventions to bring it under control had failed because truth, the key element in fostering peace, was absent.
He proposed that apart from holding separate sessions with the sides involved in the conflict, the government should also meet both sides at a round table to passionately discuss the issue and map out the way forward.
Mr Akalifah identified chieftaincy and inaccessibility to land by the Mamprusis as some of the undertones of the conflict and appealed to the government to help resolve the conflict.
Earlier, a delegation of chiefs from the eastern corridor of the Kassena-Nankana-West District had called on the President to petition the government to heed their request for a separate district as a matter of fairness.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Roger Atasige, asserted that as far back as the 1970s, seven villages, including Manyoro, Natugnia, Nabango, Yua, Kandiga, Sirigu and Mirigu had been requesting through democratic means for a separate district and constituency but their requests had been turned down.
He, therefore, appealed to the President to act on their concern.
Responding, the President said the government would critically study the issue and ensure that once all the requirements were met as stipulated by law, their concerns would be taken on board.
“Government work within certain rules and regulations and we want to take decisions that are informed by the provisions of the laws,” he said.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, commended the group for the peaceful and democratic way they presented their request and intimated that their concerns would be thoroughly looked at.
Present at both meetings were a Member of the Council of State, Very Rev Jacob Ayeebo, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni; the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. Joseph Smith; the Interior Minister, Mr Cletus Avoka; the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, and other party executive members.
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