THE Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Atanga Akamugri, has urged for a renewed commitment to tackle the lingering chieftaincy dispute in Bawku, to bring peace and development to the area.

While indicating government’s strong desire to ensure that the impasse is brought under control, he tasked all illustrious stakeholders, including traditional leaders, security, media, youth and political actors to prioritise ending the Bawku conflict.

Mr Akamugri made the call at the palace of the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Zug-Raan Abugrago Asigri Azorka II, in Bawku of the Upper East Region.

He noted that restoring peace in Bawku and its environs was a major project he was tasked to undertake after taking over the mantle of leadership as regional minister.

Mr Atanga underscored the need for duty bearers and venerated stakeholders, especially the security personnel, to be impartial as they went about exploring avenues to help the government restore permanent calm to the conflict-torn community.

He said Bawku was a business hub, and the conflict had not only affected the people in the area, but it had had a steep toll on the local economy of the entire region.

“Upper East is suffering from economic hardship because of the Bawku impasse. Bawku is known to be a vibrant business town, and if Bawku were peaceful, the whole region would have been affected positively.

I plead with the people to let bygones be bygones”, Mr Atanga appealed.

He noted the spillover of the Bawku conflict had exacerbated the insecurity situation in the region, and asked the youth to softened their stance and allow peace to reign in their hearts.

The minister reiterated his desire to run an open door administration, and that, he would always welcome people with diverse views for the development of the region.

Mr Atanga urged the people not to hesitate to bring forth their concerns to him.

He said: “I need your support and cooperation as I take over the leadership role as regional minister. I know with collective efforts, we are going to bring the needed development to the people of the Upper East, and we cannot afford to fail.”

Mr Akamugri pledged to live up to the expectations of the people, adding that he had “an aggressive agenda” to implement the policies and programmes of the John Dramani Mahama-led government.

The Bawku Naba, Zug-Raan Naba Azorka, pledged to support the government succeed in its plans to undertake massive developmental projects in the region.

At Sakoti in the Nabdam District, the Paramount Chief of the Sakoti Traditional Area, Naba Sigri Bewong, asked the minister to always count on him towards the development of the region.

He urged the government to ensure even development, saying the district was deprived and there was the urgent need for the government to intervene in that direction.

The minister rounded off his courtesy call for the first day at the Nangodi Traditional Area, where he pledged to work with chiefs in order to ensure development.

 FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, BAWKU

 Gregory Afoko, the man accused of conspiring with Alangdi Asabke in 2015, to kill Adams Mahama, a former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has filed another bail application before the Accra High Court.

The application, filed on Febru­ary 17, is the third time the accused is praying the court to grant him bail in the course of the nine years alleged criminal trial.

On April 27, 2023, a jury returned a 4-verdict of not guilty against Afoko, on the charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

Per the verdict, Afoko was to be retried, as his alleged accomplice, Asabke, was handed sentence to death by hanging by the court.

Alangdi was to be sent to the gallows after a seven-member jury unanimously found him guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.

Per Section 285 (4) of the Crim­inal and Other Offences (Proce­dure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), a verdict of 4-3 by a jury in a murder trial means it is a hung jury and there must be a retrial.

“Since the first accused person [Afoko] has been found not guilty by the majority decision of 4-3, this is a hung jury. There will be a retrial of the accused person,” Justice Merley Afua Wood, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge, ruled yesterday.

“Asabke Alangdi, the men and women elected to try you, having found you guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging,” Justice Wood pronounced.

But, counsel for Asabke, Mr Vortia, appealed the death sentence of his client, describing the verdict of the jury as “strange” and a trav­esty of justice.

The counsel wondered how the jury could have found Alangdi guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and then found Afoko not guilty of the same charge of conspiracy.

“How can a person conspire against himself? In law, conspiracy only holds against two or more people, and each of the accused persons must be guilty. Who did my client conspire with, if the first accused person has been found not guilty by the jurors on the same facts?

“There is no way one person can be found guilty of conspiracy and the other party will not be guilty. I am, therefore, going to lodge an instant appeal,” Mr Vortia said, adding that the case was a clear testament that the jury system in the country was defective.

According to the facts of the case, on May 14, 2015, Afoko’s brother, Paul Afoko, and Kwabena Agyepong, then National Chairman and General Secretary respectively of the NPP, went to Bolgatanga for a meeting.

Alhaji Mahama, the prosecu­tion claimed, organised thugs to violently attack the two, scuttling the planned meeting at the Azum­solon Guest House, while accusing them of campaigning against the then NPP flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and also not notifying him (Mahama) of the meeting.

The situation, according to the prosecution, was later brought under control by the police, but Afoko, who was then upset, con­fronted Mahama, but was chased away by some thugs.

The facts also noted that Afoko and one Asabke Alangdi formed another youth group in a bid to protect persons perceived to be against Nana Akufo-Addo.

It said Afoko and Alangdi held a series of meetings with the youth, and on May 20, 2015, they laid am­bush at Mahama’s residence with a substance suspected to be acid.

“Mahama returned home around 11:10 pm in his pick-up ve­hicle, with registration number NR 761-14, and immediately he parked the vehicle in front of his house, Afoko and Asabke went close and signalled him to roll down the glass.

“Mahama identified the suspects to be party members, and rolled down the glass to talk to them. Suddenly, the suspects poured the substance, suspected to be acid, on his head, face and other parts of his body and fled on a mo­torbike.“Mahama started screaming for help, and his wife, Hajia Adams, went to his aid and managed to bring him out of the vehicle,” the prosecution stated.

 The warrant arrest issued against Ms Karen Baaba Sam, over the custody of her daughter, has been rescinded by the Achimota District Court yesterday.

On January 20, the Achimota District Court, presided over by Prince Osei Owosu issued warrant arrest against Ms Sam to assist the Police Criminal Inves­tigations Department (CID) in a case of unlawful child removal.

The court, presided by Prince Osei Owusu, granted a motion filed by Ms Karen Baaba Sam’s lawyers seeking an order to set aside what she says is was an “illegally” obtained arrest warrant against her allegedly procured by her ex-partner, Nana Kwad­wo Adjei, with the assistance of some elements in the Ghana Police Service.

Ms Sam caused her lawyers to file motion at the same court to overturn the earlier decision of the court.

When the case was called yes­terday, her counsel told the court that the warrant arrest had no basis and should be set aside.

A State Attorney, David Beecham, did not oppose the application and court proceeded to set aside the arrest warrant.

The warrant of arrest, signed by the Superintendent of Police, Joseph Benefo Darkwah, stated that Ms Baaba Sam, 29, years old,

 from Dormaa Ahenkro, was be­lieved to be hiding at East Legon, Airport Residential Area, Canton­ments, Osu, or Dzorwulu.

Ms Sam said she caused her lawyer to conduct a search at the Achimota District Court to find out the specific case upon which the warrant arrest was issued, but nothing was found.

She also deposed further as follows: “That the warrant, whether issued by the Court, with respect, was procured through fraud and illegally perpetrated by Detective Inspector Samuel Sakyi appeared in the honour­able Court to obtain the warrant against me (Baaba Sam).

“That Detective Inspector Samuel Sakyi’s depositions that the complainant had custody and

 that I (Baaba Sam) took away my daughter and am refusing to return her are all false.”

“That, I (Baaba Sam) am engaged in two cases involving domestic abuse and custody with the complainant, with one pending in the Circuit.”

In her affidavits, Ms Baaba Sam states that on December 13, 2024, the District Court made orders for the sharing of the Christmas vaca­tion between her and the com­plainant (Nana Kwadwo Adjei).

Subsequently, the com­plainant abused the daughter, and Ms Sam applied to both courts.

On December 3, 2024, the Circuit Court granted Ms Sam and the daughter interim protection or­ders.

 BY MALIK SULLEMANA