Bolgatanga, Feb. 22, GNA - Naba Asigre Abugrago Azoka II, Paramount Chief of Bawku Traditional Area, on Wednesday appealed to residents to help sustain the prevailing peace and tranquillity in the area. Naba Azoka who made the appeal at a press conference at the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs in Bolgatanga, alleged that some people were planning to cause unrest in the area.

He asked "Why would some people take the law into their hands and mar the peace at Bawku. The only issue in the area in the past was the chieftaincy problem that has been resolved since 1983."

"What Bawku needs is unity and development, not conflicts. We should take stock of the past and the effects of conflicts in the area," he added.

Naba Azoka expressed concern about the manner some people blocked the road to the durbar grounds during this year's "Saman-piid" festival, and security personnel had a hectic time to control the situation. He said the people fired gunshots in Bawku and harassed many innocent people including a journalist during the festival. Naba Azoka warned that the Bawku Traditional Council, sub-chiefs and elders would not tolerate any group of people that would foment trouble in the area but hand them over to the security agencies. He called on the public to volunteer information on perpetrators of crime to the security agencies.

The Paramount Chief warned that the Traditional Council would deal with anyone who would flout its by-law on spinning and playing of loud music during funerals.

Present at the press conference were the Pusiga-Naba E. A. Atiah, Bansi-Nab Peter Amenga, Kpalwega-Nab Adam Awuni, Boko-Nab Mohamed Akonly and Zoug-Nab Amada Azinim.