Alhaji A. B. A. Fuseini, Deputy Northern Regional Minister, has commended the chiefs and people of the Buipe Traditional Area for giving peace a chance, which would open doors for massive development.

He said conflicts all over the world derailed development and urged the people to continue to live in harmony saying; “peace obtained in Buipe area had been coincidental to the peace chalked in Dagbon”.

He said it was important for traditional and political leadership in the northern part of the country to cherish peace as the only catalyst for development and that the economic conditions in the north were unfavourable, which called for unity of purpose to develop.

Alhaji Fuseini said this during the annual Damba Festival of the chiefs and people of Buipe which had not been celebrated for more than three years due to a misunderstanding in the area.

He called for an enabling environment that would create jobs and employment for the teeming youth and stressed the importance of lasting peace to prevail not only in the Buipe but the entire Gonja and Dagbon areas.

Buipewura Abdulai Mahama Jinapor II, Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area, expressed joy about the success and peaceful celebration of the event, which showcased the tradition and custom of Gonjaland attracting people from all walks of life who danced to melodious traditional music.

The annual festival also brought together various sub-chiefs, traditional rulers, politicians and opinion leaders dressed in beautiful smocks while there was a display of musketry, symbolic of the culture of the people.

The festival, being celebrated for the first time under the current Buipewura, was under the theme: “Peace and Reconciliation for Sustainable Development,” aimed at strengthening the unity that existed among the people for peaceful coexistence.

Dr Ahmed Jinapor, Spokesperson for the Buipewura, commended all those who participated in the unification drive in the Buipe Area, particularly President John Dramani Mahama and the Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Bore Essah I, adding that all efforts would be made to sustain the peace.

He said the festival was to commemorate the birth of the founder of Islam, Anabi Mohammed, and that the founder of the Gonja Kingdom chalked all his successes with the help of Imam Fatimorikpi.

Mr Nayoon Bilijo, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, appealed to investors to venture into the aquaculture sector and take advantage of the huge potential that existed in the area to develop and expand their businesses.

He said the area had arable and suitable land for fish farming with an all year- round source of water and that its location at the centre of the country and the motorable nature of the road was an added advantage for aquaculture development for wealth creation.