GCB Bank considers reopening Bawku branch as security situation improves
Managing Director Farihan Alhassan says GCB Bank is assessing security conditions and business prospects in Bawku before deciding whether to resume operations, as the Upper East Regional Minister points to improving stability.
The Managing Director of GCB Bank PLC, Farihan Alhassan, says the bank is considering reopening its branch in Bawku following improvements in the security situation.
He said the bank, which suspended operations in the conflict-affected municipality, had begun assessing the security situation and business environment to determine the feasibility of resuming banking services.
Alhassan disclosed this on Thursday when he paid a courtesy call on the Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, in Bolgatanga.
He said he and his team had undertaken a business tour of Bawku to obtain first-hand information about developments in the municipality and assess the prospects for reopening the branch.
“I just wanted to get first-hand information about what is happening in Bawku,” he said, noting that he was familiar with the Upper East Region and the business opportunities available in the area.
“I know the kind of business opportunities that the family is losing because we are not in Bawku,” he added.
Alhassan explained that the visit would inform the bank’s decision on reopening the branch, stressing that any move to resume operations would depend on the outcome of its assessment.
The proposed reopening comes as authorities intensify efforts to restore normal economic and social activities in Bawku following the prolonged conflict.
The Upper East Regional Minister welcomed the bank’s interest in returning to the municipality, citing improvements in the security situation.
Akamugri said his recent Accounting to the People tour of Bawku, during which he inspected development projects and interacted with residents, proceeded without a security crisis.
“I was in Bawku, even around 6 pm, 7 pm, I was still roaming around Bawku there doing Accounting to the People’s tour and inspecting projects. So, if it was that violent, I can’t be there doing that,” he said.
“It shows that things have gotten back to normal,” he added.
However, Akamugri acknowledged that full integration had yet to be achieved, stressing that economic activities were gradually returning to the municipality.
He said the government was working to ensure that public institutions returned to Bawku to support the restoration of normal activities and economic recovery.
The Minister also cited the President’s directive for the contractor working on the Tamne Dam project to resume construction as part of efforts to advance development in the region.
He urged GCB Bank to consider itself a partner in the region’s development and contribute to efforts to revive economic activities in Bawku.
Beyond the proposed reopening, Akamugri commended GCB Bank for supporting government activities and development initiatives in the Upper East Region.
He thanked the bank’s management in Bolgatanga for its collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), particularly in providing space on its property for the establishment of a passport office.
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