Vice President calls for closer relations between Gonjas and Nawuris

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, called on the chiefs and opinion leaders of the Gonja and Nawuri traditional areas, to initiate moves to sustain peaceful co-existence.

“I want to call on the Gonja and Nawuri chiefs to make all the necessary consultations that would find lasting solutions to the petty differences that had over the years erupted between the two ethnic groups.”

He said it was unacceptable for the elders to allow petty differences to result in divisive tendencies as they had co-existed peacefully in the past.

Vice President Mahama made the call when he joined the chiefs and people of East Gonja District to mourn the death of Kpembewura Alhaji Ibrahima Haruna Kibasibi II, Paramount Chief of Kpembe, near Salaga in the Northern Region.

The late Kpembewura was a public servant, politician, farmer, a philanthropist and devout Muslim.

He served as a Northern Regional Minister in the Third Republic.

Vice President Mahama said Kpembewura Kibasibi was not only a committed administrator and politician, but a staunch advocate of bridging the yawning development gap between the South and North of Ghana.

“At least our late Kpembewura will forever be remembered for his famous statement: “The North is far behind the South by eight times and therefore needs to be corrected.”
The Vice President said government had secured a Turkish loan for works on the Tamale- Makango and Salaga Kpandai trunk road.

He gave the assurance that work on the Damango- Fulfulsu would soon begin to make it motorable.

Former Vice President Aliu Mahama on behalf of Former President John Agyekum Kufuor expressed condolences to the bereaved family and people of Kpembe.

The funeral rites of the 72-year old late Kpembewura attracted people from the regions, political parties, public service and traditional authorities throughout the country.

Source: GNA