Fmr Vice President Aliu Mahama reinterate call for peace talks to continue in Bawku

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga Former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has reiterated the call on the leadership of the people of Bawku, especially the faction that has withdrawn its participation from the deliberations of Inter Ethnic Peace Committee to return to the negotiation table and use dialogue to help restore permanent peace in the area. The Bawku Inter Ethnic Peace Committee, made up the two dominant ethnic groups in the Bawku Municipality- Kusasis and Mamprusis- as well as other minority tribes, was established by the current government in 2009/2010 in the aftermath of the conflict that rocked the area to draw up a road map leading to restoration of permanent peace in the area. However, the committee’s activities were jolted when one of the sides, the Mamprusis, withdrew their participation due to perceive bias on the part of government and since then, its programmes activities have stalled. In a media encounter with selected journalists at Bolgatanga after accompanying, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, running mate to the NPP’s Presidential Candidate for the December 7, 2012 polls on a tour of the region, Alhaji Aliu Mahama said it will be fruitful and rewarding if all efforts are channelled into bringing lasting peace to the area. “The pulling out from the Inter Ethnic Peace Committee might have been as a result of lost of confidence of one of the sides. I believe with that passage of time, things are cooling down. I will want to prevail on the aggrieved party to come back to the negotiation table so that they can really work out something to bring permanent peace to the area”, he said. “This is the time to start talking after a long layoff knowing that people have now cooled down and will be able to listen to each other”, he stressed. He commended the people of the region for sustaining the peace which he said was needed for the development of the country stressing that development can never take place where conflict exists. On the December 7, 2012 elections he have the assurance that as far as the NPP was concern, they stand for peace and they would do all they can to ensure that peace prevails, during, during and after the elections. “Naturally, anytime election period come, people have their fears. But I believe that having gone through five elections and I am very hopeful that, Ghana will go through these elections peacefully”, he emphasised. Alhaji Aliu Mahama who was with Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia throughout his one week tour of the region asked the people to support Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia by voting massively for the NPP in the December election to continue from where President Kufour left off. He said during the latter parts of the Kufour administration, Pwalugu Tomato Factory in the region was revamped to help rejuvenate agricultural activities, particularly tomato processing in the region to reduce poverty. He however accused the current government for failing to put in place a good management to continue from where their (NPP) administration had left off from leading to a slump in activities at the plant. He therefore called on the people to vote back the NPP to help it continue its plans for the factory to help change lives and improve on the economy of the area. “We in the NPP know the importance of that factory. We know what it can do to impact on the lives of farmers in the area. It was for that reason that our administration secured a loan facility from Brazil to build a mini hydro dam with irrigation facilities at Pwalugu. We had planned that through that programme, the region will enjoy constant electric power which will certainly attract industries to the region and also create a huge irrigation system that will keep out farmers busy all year round. Sadly the programme was frustrated by the NDC government who succeeded the NPP. They ended up diverting the funds into roads construction”, Alhaji Aliu said. He expressed the confidence that the people of the Upper East Region will return the NPP back into power to revive that dream and also carry on its free SHS education policy which he said from observation of their tour of the region was catching up with the electorates like wide fire. -End- (benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh)