By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Tarikom (U/E), Sept. 19, GNA – The Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorate of ECOWAS and Ghana have jointly launched a support project on Persons of Concern (PoCS) at the Tarikom Refugee Camp in the Bawku West District.
The six-month project scheduled to commence on October 01, 2025, would support PoCS including refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, and internally displaced people.
The joint project would be implemented in partnership with the Right To Be Free, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
At the launch of the project, Dr Stintiki Tarfa Ugbe, the Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, said Tarikom, the host community for the refugees, the Bawku West District and the entire Upper East represented the spirit of regional integration.
“This Region represents what ECOWAS stands for; ECOWAS of the people. In this Region, we have seen host communities, traditional rulers, like the Chief of Tilli and Tarikom, open their hands to refugees from across the border,” she said.
She praised the traditional authorities and other stakeholders in the community for not just receiving the refugees but offering them land to farm, as well as respected and protected their dignity.
“This is the spirit of regional integration,” Dr Ugbe said.
She further commended the Government of Ghana, the GRB, the Right To Be Free, and other stakeholders saying, “We are so proud that we will carry this flag and show that, indeed, regional integration does not stop with meetings at our capitals.
“But regional integration is when the government and people like you translate all the policies of the Heads of State and government into action. The host communities are showing and carrying the burden and responsibilities of refugees, and we want to thank you,” the Director said.
As part of the project launch, Dr Ugbe and her team, presented bags of rice and cooking oil to various households in the camp and interacted with them.
Mr Donatus Akamugri Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, in a speech delivered on his behalf, said the joint project reflected a bold and progressive step in their collective effort to provide comprehensive protection, assistance and durable solutions for PoCS.
He noted that the choice of the Tarikom Refugee Camp for the project launch was deliberate and symbolic saying, “It is here that we see both the needs and hopes of thousands of persons of concern who seek safety, dignity and a better future.”
Mr Atanga on behalf of the government, thanked ECOWAS for its leadership and vision, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other United Nations Agencies for their technical and humanitarian support, development partners and donors for their solidarity and resources.
Naba James Ayoore, the Chief of Tarikom, said community members had co-existed peacefully with the refugees, whom he referred to as their brothers and sisters from Burkina Faso for over two years despite the differences in nationality, culture and ethnicity.
He said the support project was a testament of the dedication, hard work and collaborative spirit of ECOWAS.
He said, “It’s not just about launching a project, but it is about embarking on a new chapter to make sure that PoCS move freely within ECOWAS without hindrance”.
Naba Ayoore expressed confidence that with the collective effort and commitment by all stakeholders, the project would achieve great success and deliver its intended goals.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo