By Iddi Yire
Accra, Jan 15, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has taken his Bawku Peace Mission engagement to the Overlord of Mamprugu, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga at his Palace in Nalerigu, the North East Regional Capital.
The engagement is a demonstration of the President’s determination to resolve the decades-old conflict in Bawku.
The President has early on held a similar engagement in Bawku with Zugraan Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, the Overlord of the Kusaug Traditional Area in the Upper East Region.
Speaking at the Nayiri’s Palace in Nalerigu President Mahama recalled that during the election 2024 campaign period, he was at Palace to seek the blessings of his father, the Nayiri for the elections that were impending.
“Two of his sons were contesting for the election, whichever of us won was a victory for him,” President Mahama said.
“And so, as his son, I have brought the victory to him. He can count on me; he should know that it is his son who is in the Flagstaff House and so I want to thank him again.”
President Mahama said: “But I know that my father has not been sleeping because of what is happening in Bawku and what is happening in Walewale and so it is giving him sleepless nights.”
The President said during the campaign, he made a promise that bringing peace would be one of his major priorities
“And so, it’s exactly one week since I was sworn-in, and this is my first major assignment outside Accra. It shows how important this matter is to me,” he said.
“And so, I just came to appeal to him to exercise restraint and patience and his subjects to exercise restraint and patience and trust that we will resolve this matter amicably.”
President Mahama said he was in the process of forming his government and so they were still appointing the ministers, who would come and help him run the administration.
He reiterated that he was just appealing to the Nayiri that he should exercise patience while he set-up the Government.
“And so as soon as that is done, we might have to invite my father, but I cannot sit in Accra and invite him I have to come and alert him in advance that an invitation like that will come.”
President Mahama said in his last briefing with former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo before he left office, he briefed him about some invitation efforts that they were undertaking; saying “I wish to be able to discuss it with him before and see how we can continue that effort”.
He said, he knew that the Nayiri, the late Yagbonwura and Otumfuo were the ones who solved the Dagbon problem
President Mahama said former President Akufo-Addo gave a hint that Otumfuo had been playing some role and so he was supposed to be with Otumfuo on the 19th of this month, so when he goes it would be one of the issues, he would discuss with him.
He noted that whatever comes out of his meeting with the Otumfuo, he would inform Nayiri.
GNA