Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has called on the parties in the Bawku conflict to lay down their guns and allow peace to prevail, as he leads efforts to seek a lasting solution.
The Asantehene has, therefore, stressed his determination to resolve the conflict for peace to prevail in the country.
According to the Asantehene, some key personalities and royals had been met already and “the moment the arbitration takes off, the truth in the matter will come out and peace will prevail.”
He said there had been several chieftaincy dispute resolutions that had seen losers even shaking hands amid smiles in the Asante Kingdom and stressed optimism that “there will be peace in Bawku when the deliberations take off.”
The Asantehene was speaking through an interpreter during a courtesy call on him by the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, yesterday.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu mentioned the codification of lines of succession as one key element that could ensure lasting peace in chieftaincy disputes.
“If we follow such, the truth will come out for all to see and there will be peace,” he emphasised.
The Asantehene observed that the chieftaincy institution was important in the country hence efforts by government officials to look for chiefs to exchange pleasantries any time they visited towns.
In that case, he called on the government to resource the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Ministry to be able to work effectively and “not a situation where the minister will be doing paper work and cannot be in cabinet meetings to speak on behalf of chiefs.”
Mr Boateng was full of praise for the Asantehene for taking over to resolve the Bawku conflict saying “this will take off the pressure on me and the government… this is customarily, chieftaincy and the Asantehene has the knowledge and what it takes to resolve it…government appreciates the efforts.”
He noted that 70 per cent of the number of security issues ongoing in the country, were chieftaincy problems that were draining the country’s resources and that “we want to bring down such disputes drastically.”
“For the Asantehene to take over to resolve the Bawku conflict, is a good thing to the government…I am looking for peace within the paramountcies, regional and national house of chiefs,” he indicated.
He appealed to the factions to stop the fight saying “the guns must be silent and the curfew will be lifted for commercial activities to boom”.
The Minister mentioned that his outfit would ensure the codification of the lines of succession to bring peace in chieftaincy issues in the country and thanked the Asantehene for the determination to resolve the conflict in Bawku to restore peace.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI