Mamprusis urged to return to negotiation table

Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The President, John D. Mahama has appealed to the Mamprusis representatives on the Bawku Inter Ethnic Peace Committee who have opted out of the dialogue process initiated to bring permanent peace to that area to rescind their decision and return to the negotiation table. He said such a move will help in bringing lasting peace to Bawku “once and for all”. President Mahama made the call on Tuesday at a durbar of chiefs and people of the Upper East Region at the Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga as part of his nationwide thank you tour. The people of the Upper East Region gave President Mahama and his entourage a rousing welcome. He was met at Winkongo by a teeming group of sympathisers and supporters. Among them was a large group of motor riding youth who led the presidential convoy in a procession to the durbar grounds. The long procession slowed down the movement o f the convoy increasing the about 20 minutes to the Jubilee Park to about three hours. At the Jubilee Park, the President was ushered in by drumming and dancing by the various ethnic groups. The massive crowd at the Jubilee Park went into a frenzy and many were seen waving miniature flags in appreciation of the visit of the president. On Bawku, the President the people of the three regions of Northern Ghana were brothers and sisters and therefore see no reasons why they should be divided by conflict. He indicated that their common enemy is not among themselves but rather poverty. He therefore stressed the need for them to unite and wage a common war against poverty He said Bawku could have been much develop and prosperous than it is today but for the conflict that rock the area. He therefore tasked the people in that area to continue to work together to bring permanent peace to the area.” There can be no development without peace”, he stressed. He commended the chiefs and people of Bawku for helping to maintain the relative peaceful atmosphere and urge them to ensure that such peace is not derailed. President Mahama said he has directed the ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to release an amount of GH C 2 million toward helping in the re-roofing of schools that had thier roofs ripped off during a storm that hit the region earlier in teh year in order not to create problems as school prepare to reopen soon. He said the Late President initiated a number of development project in every single district of the country including the Upper East Region. He said in three and a half years, the government had to put up a number of school infrastructural projects in secondary schools across the country. “This has been one of the largest single investment projects in secondary education that has been made in the history of this country. Dormitory blocks, dinning halls, classroom blocks were all rolled out under the better Ghana agenda of the government. Other development projects he said were clinics, CHPS compounds, roads were also provided. He said one project which was dear to the heart of the late president and which the first and second phases had been done was the rehabilitation of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital. He assured the people that the remaining phases o f the rehabilitation programme will be completed under hi leadership. He said government is currently completing the procurement process for the next phase o f the project and work will soon start. He said apart from the rehabilitation of the existing hospital, government is committed to the construction on an additional Regional Hospital in the region. On road project in the region, President Mahama said currently ongoing are the Missiga-Kulungugu road, Bolgatanga-Bongo Road, Winkongo-Tongo Road, Navrongo –Tono Road, and the Chuchuluga-Tumu raod, which when completed will link the region to the Upper West Region. He said there are also two important road project to be started before December, these are the Bolgatanga –Bawku road and the Sandema-Wiesi raod and said it is the determination of government to have these road and many other done to bring relief to the people. The Paramount Chief of Sakoti, Nabna Sigri Bewong, on behalf of the chiefs and People of the region commended President Mahama and his Vice on their elevation to the high office of President and Vice President respectively. He also commended the government of or the orderly manner in which the funeral was held. He lauded the late president for the number of development project he initiated in the region in particular and the country as a whole and urged the President to continue with the works started by the late president. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo said the region greatly acknowledge and appreciate the number of development projects carried out in the region under the past three and half years. -End-