I won't interfere in your traditional matters - Akufo-Addo to Bawku Naba

Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has assured the Over-Lord of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Abugragu Asigri Azoka II and the people of the five districts that from the Bawku Traditional Area, that his government will not abandon the Bolgatanga-Bawku road and other Projects started by the out-going National Democratic Congress government.

According to him, he promised during his campaign that projects that will be left uncompleted by the President Mahama led administration will be not be abandoned, and will stand by that promise, as the President of Ghana.

Nana Addo was speaking at the Bawku Naba’s Palace in the first day of his “thank you” tour in the Upper East Region.

The President-Elect used the occasion to assure the Bawku Naba and the people of Bawku Traditional Area, that his government has no intention or interest in interfering in the traditional matters of the area, saying, all he wants from the area and expects from leadership there, is a peaceful environment to enable his government to concentrate on the development activities to be done across the Bawku Traditional Area.

Prior to the elections, Nana Addo at the same Palace dismissed what he referred to as a deliberate fabrication to ensure that Kusasis in across the Bawku Traditional Area hate the New Patriotic Party. In the heat of the campaigns, some group of persons kept telling the people of Bawku, especially the Kusasi communities that, since the NPP’s Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, is a Mamprusi, the Nana Addo led government, will take the traditional power from the current Bawku-Naba and return it to the Mamprusis, who held the position in the past.

“As for me, I know only one Bawku Naba and that is you; whatever people have said or saying, don’t know anything about. I am not from here and so don’t have the power to make or unmake a Chief. What I am interested in is a peaceful environment, to enable businesses here grow and for the people, especially children to develop to their full potentials.”

Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugragu Azoka II, assured Nana Addo that, he will ensure that the peace of the area is maintained for the sake of development.

The Chief thanked the President-Elect for his assurance on the projects and the traditional power, saying, the falsehood over a “transfer” of traditional power under an NPP Government had entered many heads in the area, especially the Kusasi areas and many people were worried, but was hopeful that with this assurance tempers will calm down.

According to Bawku-Naba, if the Tamne Multi-purpose dam started by the National Democratic Congress is completed, it will serve people from all the five districts under the Bawku Traditional Area, thereby addressing the NPP’s promise of creating irrigation dams across the three Northern Regions for boost Agriculture in these areas.

Later, Nana Addo and his entourage visited the elders of the Mamprusis in Bawku and thanked them for their support during the election. He called on them to support efforts at maintaining the peaceful atmosphere in the area, for the sake of their businesses and general development.