Former President Flight Lt. John Jerry Rawlings on Saturday addressed a mammoth rally at Bawku Community centre and appealed to the fending factious in the center of the Bawku Conflict to defuse the tension handing over politics.
He told the crowd that Kusasis and Mamprusis have inter married over the period and are now one people, therefore, should not let politicians to exploit the conflict to their advantage which would end up impoverish them and their children yet unborn.
“How many Kusasis haven’t married to Mamprusis and how Mamprusis are not married to kusasis, you have uncles, aunties from the both sides so why killed yourselves.
The Former president said that politics was not about tribal lines and ethnicity but development of the nation and the people so he advised them to be united and formed a common solidarity in order to find solution to the stress as the result of the conflict.
Flight Lt Rawlings alleged that during the 2004 election, the New Patriotic Party (N.P.P) filled the boxes with identical thumb print ballot papers, stressing that the stole the election but admitted that the 2000 election was won by N.P.P through the psychology they played on the minds of Ghanaians.
He also alleged that the N.P.P was trying to introduce violence, therefore, advised Ghanaians to be vigilant for the December polls.
The Former President said that the 7th election was crucial for the National Democratic Congress (N.D.C) and was hopeful that victory was sure for Prof. John Evans Atta Mills to “build a strong nation by pooling the nation along not a few because the winds of change is blowing every where they went ”.
According to him, the suffering have increased, tariffs and school fees have shot up making life very difficult for parents to pay their wards fees, “don’t become immune to suffering of the N.P.P, I told you not to give your votes to them, I hope you will not repeat such mistake again” he concluded.
Before, the mammoth rally, the former President paid a courtesy call on Bawku Naba, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II Paramount Chief of Bawku traditional are. After exchanging pleasantries, he told Naba that people turned to forget the progress made during the 1979 and 1981 revolutions, therefore, this election represent the best opportunity for Ghanaians to express their freedom to continue the noble work they began.
He urged Bawku Naba to unit the people devoid of all divisions to prevent politicians from exploiting the people through the conflict.
Flight Lt. Rawlings said billions of old cedi had been spent to resolved the Dagbon conflict and kept the place under state of emergency for two years instead of spending such amount on education and sanitation.
Earlier on Former President visited the families of the late Alhji Oga and Teacher Rokes Yirimea who were opinion leaders of Kusasis and Mamprusis respectively who lost their lives during the just ended conflict to sympathize with them.
Though the former president’s visit was peaceful, some people around the central part of Bawku (Natinga area) Township threw stones at the convoy which broke one of the side glasses of one of the long buses but there was no injury. Earlier on, one Mr. Iddi Iddrisu died on the spot when the motorbike he sat on burst tire. This was part of motorbike display to welcome JJ Rawlings to Bawku.
Godwin Nkunu
ISD- Bawku
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