President Kufuor commended for bringing peace to Bawku

The chiefs and people of the Bawku Traditional Area have commended President J.A. Kufuor whose recent visit to Bawku served as a basis for unification of the various factions in the communal conflict there.

Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, Paramount chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, who made the commendation, noted that as a result of the President's visit, and the tactful manner in which he approached the Bawku crisis, "Peace has completely been restored thereby paving the way for smooth administration and development of the area."

Naba Azoka made the commendation when he addressed a durbar held in his honour by the Kusasi community in the Ashanti Region in Kumasi on Saturday.

Naba Azoka who is also the President of the Upper-East Regional House of Chiefs, stressed, "In appreciation of the good works of the President, we the chiefs and people of Bawku pledge not to do anything again that will undermine the trust and confidence he President Kufuor has reposed in us."

"I call on all people of Bawku East and West to regard each other as one people with a common destiny, and avoid any further bloodshed, as conflicts have robbed us of developments," he stated.

Naba Azoka used the occasion to announce that the "Samapiid festival", an annual gathering of Kusasis to take stock of their past activities and map out plans for development of the area, would be held on December 18, this year.

The Bawku Naba indicated that a major activity of the festival would be the launching of the "Kusaug Education Endowment Fund."

Chief Azumah Ndagu, Head of the Kusasi community in the Ashanti Region, suggested that the Bawku Naba should include heads of settler groups in the Bawku area to form a council that could advise him from time to time on pertinent issues.

Such an approach, he noted, could help sustain the co-existence, peace and development of the area.

On his part, Mr. Nicholas Agbango, Secretary of the Kusasi Youth Association in the Ashanti Region, appealed to the power brokers and sectionalists among them to disarm and "let us reconcile for the sake of present and future generations"