Bawku (UE), April 10, GNA- The Chiefs and people of Bawku Traditional Area on Thursday celebrated the Samanpiid festival peacefully without any problem. The festival, celebrated every year, could not come on last year as a result of the violence that erupted on December 31 2007, during that celebration.

Samanpiid Festival originated many years ago among the Kusasis of Bawku area and is meant to thank God and the ancestral spirits for their protection, guidance and blessing for fruitful harvest after each farming season. The occasion is also used by the people to reflect on their past achievements and shortcomings to enable them to decide on the way forward.

In a speech read for him, the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, expressed his displeasure at the conflict between the two ethnic groups-Kusasis and Mamprusis in the area and said it was retarding development in the area.

Naba Azoka noted that, they should have been fighting poverty, ignorance and disease and appealed to all his subjects, irrespective of their ethnic background to put hatred and conflict behind them to pave way for development.

"I am appealing to my entire subjects, irrespective of ethnic differences to put hatred and conflict behind us and let us together assure the Government that we are poised for development", he said. He indicated that none of the feuding factions had benefited from the conflict and said it had rather worsened their plight. Naba Azoka appealed to the Government to help create employment for the youth in the area so as to prevent them from being idle and using good time to foment trouble.

He appealed to the Government to construct more dams in the area for irrigation in the dry season and stressed the need for the implementation of the proposed Tamne irrigation project of which feasibilities studies had been completed.

Mr. Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, reiterated that without peace there would be no development and indicated that the present government had a lot of good programmes and policies which would be implemented to alleviate the plight of the people but that might not be possible if they were still engaged in conflicts. He mentioned that Government had established the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to champion the development agenda of the three Northern regions, including the northern parts of Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions.

He indicated that Government also intend establishing a Sheanut Development Board in the North just as the Cocoa Marketing Board and noted that the Board shall oversee the production and processing of the nuts, among others.

The Regional Minister urged the chiefs and people of the area to use the celebration of the festival to mend broken relationships with their neighbours for peaceful and harmonious co-existence in Bawku. He stated that, government was concerned about the situation in Bawku and would ensure that the matter is resolved as soon as possible.

Mr. Yakubu Alhassan Abubakari, the Bawku Municipal Coordinating Director, expressed over the numerous repercussions the conflict had brought to the area and said many workers posted to the area refused to report for duty while workers also vacated their posts and requested transfer to other areas.

Revenue mobilization of the assembly, he noted, had also been affected and contractors abandoned their work, all to the detriment of the Municipality's development. He appealed to the factions to lay down their guns and assist government and all peace brokers to find a permanent and enduring solution to the conflict. Mr. Cletus Avoka, Minister of Interior, said there was no need for fighting among the feuding factions since they are all one and share things in common.

He said the present government would not countenance the culture of impunity and would deal with anybody, irrespective of political, ethnic and religious background and assured the people that, very soon the truth of the conflict would be laid to bear to resolve the issue. He advised the people to use legal means in resolving their differences, instead of resorting to using weapons and said monies used to purchase weapons for fighting could have been used in productive ventures.

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr. Stephen Nayina Sumani entreated the feuding factions to live in peace and unity since there was no benefit from conflict. The festival, which attracted sons and daughters and people from all walks of life was on the theme; "Forging ahead in Unity and Development". 10 April 09