SECURITY BEEFED UP IN BAWKU (BACK PAGE, DEC 29)

THE Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has beefed up security in Bawku ahead of today’s Samanpiid Festival of the chiefs and people of the Kusasi Traditional Area.
According to the Chairman of the REGSEC and Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, additional security personnel drawn from the military and the police had been deployed to the area to ensure that nothing untoward happened.
In an interview in Bolgatanga, Mr Woyongo said it was the desire of the REGSEC that the relative peace being enjoyed in the area was retained and enhanced, for which reason the council would not leave anything to chance.
He disclosed that an additional 100 soldiers and the same number of policemen had been deployed in the town to assist those already on the ground to ensure a peaceful celebration.
This year’s Samanpiid Festival, which is a traditional thanksgiving event by the Kusaug (Kusasis), also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the enskinment of the current Paramount Chief of Bawku, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Personal Assistant of the Bawku Naba, Mr Thomas Abilla, said the Samanpiid Planning Committee had been liaising with the Bawku Municipal Security Committee to ensure that the right things were done to ensure an incident-free ceremony.
He said this time round the event would be held at the Daduri Park, instead of the Community Centre Park, which, from all indications, could not contain the anticipated large number of people.
“We have invited the Nayiri and King of Mamprugu, the Kumbu Naa, the Lawra Naa, the Paramount Chief of Bolgatanga and the Paga Pio, who is also the President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, to join the Bawku Naba to celebrate this milestone and you would agree with me that if all these prominent chiefs are coming with their retinue of elders, then the Community Centre Park cannot contain all of them, in addition to the 23 divisional chiefs and their entourage, hence the choice of the Daduri Park,” Mr Abilla said.
According to him, in addition to those dignitaries, other prominent sons and daughters of Bawku, including all the Members of Parliament from Bawku, as well as ministers of state, had been invited to join in the celebrations.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, is scheduled to join the people for the celebration as the special guest of honour.