President John Dramani Mahama has made a passionate appeal to residents of Nkwanta South in the Oti Region to end the ongoing conflict in the area and allow peace to prevail.
Speaking during his final stop at Dambai in the Oti Region as part of his nationwide thank-you tour on Friday, July 25, 2025, the President described the violence in parts of Nkwanta as deeply troubling and a major obstacle to development.
“I cannot conclude without talking about peace. All these things I’ve talked about, all these infrastructure, development I’ve talked about cannot take place if we do not have peace,” he said.
President Mahama lamented that the region’s potential was being stifled by conflict, urging all sides involved to immediately cease hostilities and focus on unity.
“And that is why development in Nkwanta is troubling. I wish to appeal to all those in Nkwanta who are involved in the conflict to please lay down your arms,” he pleaded.
He expressed concern over recent security reports detailing casualties, including students, calling the situation unacceptable.
“Every once a while, in security reports, I read very disturbing news about people who have died including students. It’s completely unacceptable,” Mahama said.
The President also criticized calls for a military base in the area, arguing that communities should be demanding hospitals, schools, and jobs, not more soldiers.
“When Nana was talking, he asked of the establishment of a military barrack. Why should we be wanting a military barrack? It’s because we are fighting. We should be asking for hospitals, schools, jobs and things, not military camps,” he said.
He urged traditional authorities and community members to use dialogue and traditional conflict resolution mechanisms to restore calm.
“Let’s dialogue. Let’s use our traditional mechanism to establish peace because we have to live together, we are one and the same people. Our common enemy is poverty, not ourselves. We should be fighting poverty, not fighting each other,” he said.
President Mahama assured the community that government will take steps to ensure security and safety for all residents.
“Government will make sure that we provide the appropriate security to ensure that people are able to go about their businesses without fear of being harmed,” he stated.
