President John Dramani Mahama has taken a bold step to end the long-standing Bawku conflict, announcing a GHC 1 billion Bawku Revitalisation Fund to complement the government’s chieftaincy settlement.
The move comes after the administration formally endorsed the Bawku Conflict Mediation Report presented by His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, which affirmed Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as the sole Bawku Naba and ordered the rival claimant, Alhaji Seidu Abagre, to relocate to Nalerigu.
The historic fund, to be disbursed between 2026 and 2028, aims to address the deep economic damage caused by decades of violent disputes. It targets critical sectors, including roads, hospitals, schools, irrigation dams, security installations, and market facilities, with the ultimate goal of restoring Bawku as a thriving economic hub in Northern Ghana.
A high-powered committee, led by Finance and Acting Defence Minister Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, will oversee the fund. Other members include the Upper East Regional Minister, Donaltus Akamuguri, and Majority Leader and Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga, ensuring political oversight at the heart of the conflict zone.
“Government acknowledges that the protracted conflict has resulted in grave human, social, and economic losses, significantly undermining livelihoods, social cohesion, and development prospects in Bawku and its environs,” the statement said.
Analysts describe the fund as a “carrot” to the “stick” of enforcing the chieftaincy ruling—a tangible incentive to complement the legal and political resolution of the dispute.
“There are no winners and no losers in this process,” Otumfuo stated. The government echoed this call for unity, hoping that the GHC 1 billion investment will finally turn the page on decades of unrest and unlock lasting peace and prosperity for the people of Bawku.
