Bawku (UE), Dec. 28, GNA- The Minister of the Interior, Mr. Martin Amidu, has said that Bawku would only regain its vibrant economic status if its chiefs and people commit to the nurturing of peace after months of communal conflict. According to him, the people of Bawku have come to the realization tha= t the conflict has deeply retarded development in the area and that once the people have began embracing peace which is a pre-requisite for development, there were high hopes that the area would regain its former stature. Mr Amidu made the observation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Bawku after he had visited the area to pay courtesy calls on the Chiefs and people in the area and to encourage them to continue to nurture the peace they have observed so far.

The Interior Minister was also in the Upper East Region to thank Chief= s and people in the Region for the support they gave to the party during the 2008 election. He commended the chiefs and people in the area for coming to the realization that there was nothing to gain in conflicts and that conflicts only destroy society. The Minister paid tribute to the inter-ethnic peace committee for its achievements in restoring peace and stability among the people in the area and urged the committee to continue to build trust, confidence and toleranc= e among the people.

"As Chiefs and people of Bawku, you should use the Christmas and New Year to reflect on how you have been able to achieve some level of peace so far through dialogue, reconciliation and harmony and to build upon it. People in Bawku should continue to build trust, confidence and tolerance among themselves", he emphasized.

Mr. Amidu assured the people of Bawku that government would ensure that the area which has been affected by the conflict sees fast development= .. He told the chiefs and people in Bawku that government had designed a number of developmental packages for the country in 2011 which include Bawk= u but it could not benefit from such developmental package if the people in the area continued to engage in conflicts. He stated that Government was happy that there was now peace in the area and people were going about their normal businesses and expressed optimism that Bawku which used to be economic gate to the eastern part of region would bounce back come next year. The Chiefs and people in the Bawku Traditional area commended the Interior Minister for supporting the peace efforts in the area and assured the Minister that Bawku was now returning to peace and people were very anxious about working to rebuild and re-gain what had been lost. The paramount Chief of the area, Naba Abogrago Asigri Azoka, II, appealed to Government and other Non-Governmental Organizations to support the area with developmental projects since the people are ready for development.