Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has criticized the government’s handling of the Bawku conflict mediation, describing the December 16 presentation of the Asantehene’s report at Jubilee House as lacking constitutional foundation. In a statement dated December 18, Amidu challenged President John Dramani Mahama to provide the legal basis for appointing Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as mediator.
The former Attorney General questioned whether Ghanaians would receive an arbitration report with binding findings or a mediation report showing agreements reached by the conflict parties themselves. According to Amidu, the process and government statement were not grounded in law or the constitution. He argued that the Asantehene’s involvement does not constitute customary mediation under Asante tradition because the Bawku Naba and the Nayiri are supreme customary rulers in their own exclusive traditional areas.
Amidu emphasized that the 1992 Constitution mandates a government of laws rather than men. He noted that neither President Nana Akufo Addo nor President Mahama could lawfully request mediation without grounding it in due process. The former Special Prosecutor recalled that during a February 3, 2024 campaign visit to the Bawku Naba’s palace, then candidate Mahama stated there was no chieftaincy conflict because only one known king existed. The former Attorney General questioned why President Mahama now requests mediation of a conflict he previously declared nonexistent.
The anti corruption advocate raised concerns about the allocation of a one billion Ghana cedis Bawku Revitalization Fund. He described the fund’s management structure as potentially ineffective, stating it smells of pure crony capitalism dressed as conflict resolution. The high level committee chaired by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Baah Forson includes the Upper East Regional Minister and the Majority Leader who represents Bawku Central constituency.
Amidu warned that the perception that money can resolve identity based conflicts is flawed. He noted that such conflicts generate their own political economy bringing billions of cedis to beneficiaries including security personnel, government officials, and civil society organizations at the cost of innocent lives. In his estimation, deaths between January 7 and December 16 exceeded those of the past eight years under the previous regime.
The former Special Prosecutor has deep connections to Bawku affairs. He represented the Bawku Naba in 2003 when Akufo Addo Prempeh and Company filed a Supreme Court action challenging the constitutionality of the Chieftaincy Restoration of Status of Chiefs Law. He successfully argued lack of jurisdiction based on the Transitional Provisions of the 1992 Constitution.
Regarding the mediation process itself, Amidu stated that both the Bawku Naba and the Mamprusis acting through the Nayiri did not invite the Asantehene. According to him, President Akufo Addo and President Mahama invited the Asantehene while the parties merely consented as a matter of courtesy to government. He questioned why a high profile presentation at Jubilee House excluded the direct conflict parties from attendance.
Amidu criticized growing euphoria surrounding the mediation process, warning that portraying the presentation as a final solution is misleading and dangerous. He argued that identity based conflicts do not lend themselves to definitive conclusions announced at state functions. The former Attorney General stressed that professional understanding of resolving intractable conflicts requires transparent and accountable processes.
President Mahama’s government has fully endorsed the mediation report presented on December 16. In an official statement issued on December 17, the government reaffirmed the Supreme Court’s ruling recognizing Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as the lawful Bawku Naba. The government accepted the recommendation that Alhaji Seidu Abagre be recalled to Nalerigu by the Nayiri to assume an alternative traditional role.
The Asantehene stated during the presentation that his recommendation was not a declaration of who was at fault, noting he was there to present facts for peace. Otumfuo emphasized that chiefs do not live above the Constitution and laws enacted by courts must be enforced until lawfully changed or reviewed by the Supreme Court.
The Bawku conflict dates back to 1957 when rival installations followed the death of Bawku Naba Na Awuni in 1956. The dispute centers on claims to the paramount chieftaincy and associated land authority between the indigenous Kusasi and settler Mamprusi communities. Colonial indirect rule and post independence policy reversals have sharpened tensions over decades.
Violence has caused repeated casualties and displacement while disrupting farming, trade, education and health services. Reports indicate that throughout the conflict, 300 lives have been lost with several properties destroyed. Business closures and departure of professionals during escalations have been documented by local and national media.
Amidu concluded his statement by questioning whether the billion cedi fund allocation resulted from parliamentary appropriation, a Cabinet decision, or the President’s personal generosity. He emphasized that President Mahama’s constitutional responsibility requires him to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution while serving the wellbeing of all Ghanaians. The former Special Prosecutor warned that sycophancy and stomach politics will destroy rather than help the legacy of President Mahama and the National Democratic Congress during this tenure.
The government has called on traditional authorities, political leaders, youth groups, civil society organizations and religious bodies to support the peace building process. Development partners including the UNDP and diplomatic missions attended the December 16 presentation. The Bawku Revitalization Fund will support construction of roads, schools, health facilities, dams, irrigation systems and security installations between 2026 and 2028.
