Bawku citizens asked to make peace a developmental tool

Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, Minister of the Interior and Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, has called on the chiefs and people of the Bawku traditional area to maintain the peace to facilitate development.

He said peace is a necessary prerequisite to bring about positive change in the area for the common goal and help shape the Bawku society after the protracted ethnic conflict.

Mr Woyongo was speaking at the annual Zekula festival celebrated by the Bissa ethnic group of Kulungungu near Bawku in the Upper East Region, on the theme: “Peaceful Coexistence for Accelerated Development.”

The Interior Minister indicated that he was optimistic that with the return of the Mamprusi ethnic group to the inter-ethnic peace committee which is mandated to find lasting peace to the Bawku conflict, some positive results would be achieved.

He said the move was a step in resolving the protracted conflict which has brought development to a standstill in the area.

He expressed the hope that the people of Bawku would consider the future of the area and work together to ensure that there is stability and peace.

The Minister called on people living in border towns to be security conscious and vigilant in order to track down terrorists from entering into the country to disturb the peace being enjoyed by the country.

The Chief of the area, Naba Zitto Bariche, called on government to provide Kulungungu with a Police station and a community senior high to enforce law and order and promote quality education for the development of the area.

He said Kulungugu is a frontier with high business potentials and called on government to consider constructing a modern market in the town to make socio-economic activities vibrant.

Mr Alhassan Akologo, District Chief Executive said the assembly is committed to provide quality livelihoods for the people and mentioned the provision of a number of educational infrastructure in the district to promote quality education.

Mr Akologo hinted that market sheds are being constructed in most of the towns across the district to promote socio-economic activities and called on the people living in the area to support pro-poor government policies and programmes.