President John Mahama has commended Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, the Overlord of Gonjaland, for the peaceful nature of his Kingdom.

The President gave the commendation during a courtesy call on him by the Yagbonwura at the Presidency in Accra.

The Yagbonwura’s historic visit to the Presidency was to congratulate President Mahama on his re-election in the December 7, 2024, general elections.

President Mahama, together with Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, received the Yagbonwura and his entourage of Paramount chiefs at the forecourt of the Presidency.

President Mahama said the Yagbonwura’s guidance was vital not only in promoting peace and resolving disputes, but also in championing girl child education.

“Your Majesty, there can be no progress without peace, and I wish to commend you for the peace that reigns in Gonjaland,” President Mahama said.

“It is my wish that other areas will learn from the peace that Gonja enjoys.”

The President took the occasion to appeal to Kusasis and Mamprusis in Bawku to give peace a chance.

“We cannot accept this current situation where students are shot in school and killed. We can’t accept the current situation where teachers and public officers have all run away from Bawku because they are afraid for their lives,” he said.

“And we have given the mediation efforts to Otumfuo, and he has briefed me constantly on the progress that he’s been making, and we are almost there.”

President Mahama said the current fighting and killings could only be done by people who want to derail the mediation efforts.

“And so let’s give peace a chance, but as the army has announced, I have directed the army to move from peacekeeping to peace enforcement,” he stated.

“That means they are going to be a bit more robust with anybody who is involved in criminality.”

President Mahama said: “And so let us give peace a chance, not only in Bawku, but in Nkwanta and all the other places where we are currently suffering conflict.”

He said the values of unity, patriotism, and compassion were more urgent than ever.

He reiterated that Ghanaians must resist the forces of division and exclusion that undermine their shared heritage.

“Your Majesty, Gonjaland is made up of different people of diverse languages and cultures, but we are all united as one,” the President said.

“Let us see each other as each other’s keeper, and let us open opportunities in Savannah to everyone in Savannah, no matter your language or your culture.

“Let us build a legacy where no child in the Savannah Region is left behind,” he added.

President Mahama said every young person had the opportunity to dream and thrive, and that their traditional values continue to illuminate the path to modern development.

President Mahama, who is a proud son of Gonjaland, expressed his profound appreciation to his Father (the Yagbonwura) for his visit to the Presidency, saying, “It is a gesture of trust, solidarity, and support.”

Touching on the role of chiefs in nation building, President Mahama said the Government’s development agenda could not be achieved without the active partnership of traditional authorities.

“I’ve always maintained that Ghana’s progress is most suitable when it includes our chiefs and our people, our elders, and community leaders,” he said, adding that the traditional leaders would not be left out as spectators but as co-architects.

The President said his administration would deepen engagement with the National and Regional House of Chiefs, provide budgetary support for chieftaincy institutions, and promote the documentation of their customary laws, histories, and management framework.