Bawku, Jan 25, GNA - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer for Election 2012, on

Sunday joined the people of Bawku to celebrate the one week

funeral rites for Alhaji Abdul Malik Imoro Salifu.

Alhaji Salifu was the Bawku Central Constituency Chairman of

the NPP and died on January 15. He was 51.

Paying tribute to the deceased, Nana Akufo-Addo said the late

Alhaji Salifu was a dedicated person and a unifier who contributed

to achieving peace and development for the area.

He mentioned that peace was the only tool that could help the

people of Bawku develop and that they should see the need to

forgive because it would help them forget the past and move

forward.

Nana Akufo-Addo appealed to the youth of the area to emulate

the life of the late Alhaji Salifu because his life was worth living and

cautioned them not to give hearing to irresponsible elders who

would mislead them to destroy their future.

Mr. Adamu Dramani, the Member of Parliament for Bawku

Central, read a tribute on behalf of the constituency and said the

area had lost a great instrument for development and expressed the

hope that the area would soon get somebody with similar qualities.

He commended the people of Bawku for their contribution

towards the attainment of peace in the area and said it was time the

people saw themselves as one so that they could together bring

development to the area.

Mr. Mark Woyongo, the Upper East Regional Minister, said

the death of Alhaji Salifu had created a vacuum in the development

of the area because his services to the area were enormous.

He commended the youth for their cooperation with the

Regional Security Council in the implementation of policies that

were geared towards bringing lasting peace to the area.