Government Approves Otumfuo Bawku Report, Sets Up GH₵1bn Fund

The Government of Ghana has formally endorsed and accepted the findings and recommendations of the Bawku Conflict Mediation Report presented by His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, describing the document as a comprehensive roadmap for lasting peace and reconciliation in Bawku and its surrounding communities.

In an official statement issued on Tuesday, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to peace, constitutional order, the rule of law, and national cohesion, noting that the mediation report is not intended to assign blame or declare winners and losers, but rather to restore stability and harmonious coexistence.

The Government reiterated the long-standing legal position, consistently upheld by the Supreme Court of Ghana, that Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II is the lawful Bawku Naba. It stressed that no individual or group is permitted under any circumstances to challenge his authority or legitimacy.

As part of the implementation of the report’s recommendations, the Government accepted the proposal that Alhaji Seidu Abagre, who had been installed as a rival claimant to the Bawku chieftaincy, be recalled to Nalerigu by the Overlord of Mamprugu, the Nayiri, to assume an alternative traditional role. The State, the statement said, will immediately facilitate his safe movement to Nalerigu, where he will remain available to receive directives from the Nayiri.

The Government also appealed to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to continue offering his leadership and moral authority to subsequent reconciliation efforts aimed at deepening trust and fostering peaceful coexistence between the Mamprusi and Kusasi communities.

Acknowledging the severe human, social, and economic toll of the prolonged conflict, the Government announced a major socio-economic intervention to revive the area. President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister for Finance to establish a One Billion Ghana Cedi (GHS 1,000,000,000) Bawku Revitalisation Fund to be disbursed over a three-year period from 2026 to 2028.

According to the statement, the fund will be used to reconstruct and develop priority infrastructure, including roads, healthcare and education facilities, dams and irrigation systems for year-round agriculture, security installations, and economic and commercial infrastructure. The initiative aims to restore Bawku’s historic role as a major economic and trading hub in Northern Ghana.

The fund will be managed by a high-level committee chaired by the Minister for Finance and Acting Minister for Defence, Hon. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson. Other members include the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Donaltus Akamuguri, and the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Bawku Central Constituency and will represent MPs from the affected area.

In closing, the Government called on traditional authorities, political leaders, youth groups, civil society organisations, religious bodies, development partners, and the general public to support the peace and reconciliation process in a spirit of unity, restraint, and patriotism.

Reiterating Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s admonition that “there are no winners and no losers,” President Mahama urged all parties to accept and abide by the conclusions of the mediation report in the supreme interest of national peace and stability.

The statement, signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, MP, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, expressed the Government’s profound gratitude to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Nayiri, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahama Sheriga II, the Bawku Naba, and all stakeholders whose cooperation contributed to what it described as a historic mediation process.