President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a five-member Bawku Revitalisation Committee to manage a GHS1 billion development fund aimed at restoring the historic Upper East town and its surrounding communities to their former commercial and social glory.

Chaired by the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the committee will oversee post-conflict reconstruction, rebuild damaged public infrastructure, and revive economic activities in the region.

The fund’s establishment follows President Mahama’s earlier endorsement of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II mediation report on December 16, 2025, which laid out a roadmap for lasting peace and reconciliation in the area.

Speaking at the inauguration, President Mahama lamented the tragic toll that decades of chieftaincy and ethnic conflict have taken on the region, noting that the unrest severely crippled local economies and deprived residents of basic services.

“Decades of conflict have stalled both public and private investments, damaged livelihoods, and forced essential service providers, including teachers, nurses, and doctors, to flee the area for their safety,” President Mahama stated.

Highlighting recent improvements in security, the President commended security agencies for their tireless efforts in restoring law and order. He noted a significant decline in sporadic shootings and violence against innocent citizens. He said the time has come to transition from peacekeeping to sustainable economic restoration.

“The allocation for the Bawku Revitalisation Fund has now been made. With safety and security prevailing in Bawku and surrounding areas, this is the time to begin implementing the Fund,” President Mahama declared, charging the committee to execute their duty with transparency, urgency, and dedication.

The five-member committee brings together key government officials and local leadership. In addition to the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the committee comprises:

- Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central and Minister-designate for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development;

- Akamugri Donatus Atanga, Upper East Regional Minister;

- Dr Thomas Anaba, MP for Garu; and

- Naba Abugri Cletus Akolwin, Paramount Chief of the Tempane Traditional Area.

Expressing appreciation to the President on behalf of the committee and the traditional leadership, Naba Abugri Cletus Akolwin pledged the team’s full commitment and conveyed the backing of the Bawku Naba.

He assured the nation that the committee would work assiduously to ensure every cedi is effectively used to bring tangible development, social cohesion, and prosperity back to the people of Bawku and neighbouring communities.

The inauguration marks a decisive step in the government’s commitment to securing long-term peace through targeted economic empowerment and infrastructure development in the Upper East Region.