The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has expressed optimism for lasting peace and harmony between the feuding factions in the Bawku conflict.
During a visit to the Bawkunaba, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II yesterday, Dr Bawumia expressed concern about the situation and called for a truce and peaceful co-existence between the two factions, whom he described as “one people.”
“As a son of the North, I am very pained by the conflict that we have in Bawku between Kusasis and Mamprusis over chieftaincy.
“I believe with every bone in my body that it is possible to have peace and harmony between Kusasis and Mamprusis in Bawku and I will work towards that.
We have to work towards it.
It is possible!” the Vice-President stated.
The Vice-President, the elected flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party for the 2024 general election, was in Bawku as part of his ‘Thank you’ tour following his victory.
He was accompanied by the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery; the Minister of Chieftaincy, Religion, and Culture, Stephen Asamoah Boateng; the National Chairman of the NPP, Stephen Ayesu Ntim, and a number of MPs from the northern part of the country.
The conflict in Bawku has been a protracted one spanning decades caused by a chieftaincy dispute between Mamprusis and Kusasis.
It has left the community destabilised, with many dead and others unsettled, while economic activities have also been affected.
Need for peace
Stressing the need for peace and unity, Dr Bawumia said without them, there could not be development and the youth, in particular, would be disadvantaged.
He thus emphasized the urgent need to end the conflict to preserve lives and restore economic activities to the once vibrant community.
“This conflict has led to needless loss of lives and disrupted economic activity and development in Bawku.
It is really sad,” he said.
The Vice-President said having lived as neighbors for a long time, the two communities shared a lot in common and had even become family because they had intermarried over the years and spoken similar languages.
He emphasised that while he was ready to contribute immensely to uplift the people from poverty and underdevelopment, should he be elected President, that would not happen if there was no peace in the community.
” As president, Insha Allah, I will contribute immensely to uplifting our people from poverty and underdevelopment.
We cannot, however, be successful in our quest to eradicate poverty and bring development to our people in an atmosphere of conflict.
We need peace for development.
“Our youth need jobs, we need education, we need healthcare, we need roads.
We should be fighting for the needs of our youth and not fight with each other,” Dr Bawumia stated.
Projects
The vice president seized the opportunity to list a number of development projects either completed or being undertaken by the government in the area.
They include the Bolga-Bawku road and Agenda 111 District hospitals being constructed at Garu, Tempane, and Pusiga.
“These are the issues that matter for our people and these are the issues I will be focusing on as well,” he stressed.
