President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to the chiefs and subjects in the Kusaug and Mamprugu traditional areas to exercise restraint and cooperate with stakeholders to ensure lasting peace in their communities.
The President has, therefore, assured the Overlords of the Kusaug and Mamprugu Traditional Areas, Abugrago Zug-Raan Azoka II and Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga II respectively, of government’s commitment to resolving the decades-old conflict.
He was speaking at separate meetings with the traditional rulers on Tuesday in Bawku and Nalerigu in the Northern Region as part of his trip to the troubled area in his first major assignment outside the capital since assuming office on January 7.
According to the President, the conflict had been a source of worry not only for governments but the Overlords themselves and needed to be resolved permanently.
“I know that my father has not been sleeping because of what is happening in Bawku and Walewale. It is giving him sleepless nights,” the President said at the Nayiri’s palace in Nalerigu.
The over seven decades-old conflict, President Mahama said remained a priority for his government and steps would be taken to bring lasting peace to communities affected by the hostilities.
“During the campaign, I made a promise that bringing peace would be one of my major priorities,” the President recalled.
“It is exactly one week since I was sworn in and this is my first major assignment out of Accra. This shows how important this matter is to me.”
He further appealed to the Overlord to, with his subjects, exercise restraint as he constitutes his government to continue the mediation talks from where the previous government left off.
“In my last briefing with Nana Akufo-Addo before he left office, he briefed me about some mediation efforts they were undertaking and I will wish to be able to discuss it with him and see how we can continue that effort,” the President said.
He expressed confidence in the wisdom of the Overlord in working towards lasting peace having done that as a member of the three eminent chiefs that resolved the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis.
Earlier, the President was at the palace of the Bawku Naba, Abugrago Zug-Raan Azoka II to engage him on the subject matter.
“We are going to work very hard to ensure that we bring the peace back to Bawku,” he told a gathering at the Zu-Raan’s palace after a private meeting with the Bawku Naba.
President Mahama recalled that during his earlier term in office, Bawku and its surrounding areas were very peaceful and people went about their duties freely and without harassment.
“It is sad that this situation has occurred again and I know that in the last three years, you have not been able to sleep. So the priority of our government will be to bring peace back to Bawku so that everybody can go about his duties without fear of harassment,” he stated.
The President said he was still constituting his government and once the heads of the various security ministries and agencies took office, the continuation of the mediation talks would commence.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
