Barely 24 hours after the Northern Regional Security Council warned residents and royal families in Bimbila against conduct that could jeopardize the peace in the hotspot that caution appears to have suffered some defiance.
Today, Thursday, October 12, 2017, the family of the deceased late Nakpaa Naa Salifu Dawuni, who are rival claimants of the Bimbila Roya skin, in a shocking move enskinned their own regent. The decision comes a day after the remains of the late chief was buried in his private residence in Bimbila and also a move seen as a slap in the face of the order given by the Security Council.
A letter written by the Dawuni family commending government for the support granted leading to the burial of the late chief said the family had installed a Regent.
“Accordingly, we have the pleasure to inform you that earlier this morning Thursday 12th October 12, 2017, the regent was enskinned with the skin title Sung Lana and subsequently installed as the regent in line with the Nanung customary practice and usage”, the statement announced.
Spokesman of the family, Amadu Mustapha confirmed the statement and said the Regent was enskinned as Regent of Bimbila and he that he would continue the litigation over the Bimbila Skin.
According to him the decision was based on the premise that the late chief was contesting the skin as Bimbila chief and not chief of Nakpaa.
“That was the name, the title he used to file an appeal against the National House of Chiefs’ ruling. If that appeal has nullified that ruling that was given by the National House of Chiefs that tells you that we are coming back to our old title and the title he used to file is what we are going to use; so we are enskinning the regent as the regent of Bimbila and not as regent of Nakpaa”, the family said in an interview with Starr News.
The effect and importance of the enskinment is that there are two regents in Nanung just as the case in Dagbon and chieftaincy watchers believe the situation is now sinking to the point where resolution may seem impossible.
The burial of late chief was on the instructions of the Northern Regional Minister who cited condition of the remains of the body which had been kept under tight security watch at the Yendi Hospital since 2014 after clashes erupted over where and how to bury him.
Bimibila has seen fragile peace after 11 people died in February last year when fighting broke out between members of the Ggugmayili gate in the town.
Members of the gate have been in dispute over the legitimate chief for the area but issues escalated after Naa Salifu Dawuni died and other, Naa Salifu Dawuni was killed before appeal case in court could be completed.
The Regional Minister was not able for comments but the District Chief Executive Abdulai Yaqub said his office was yet to receive the notice from the Dawuna family. He flatly denied knowledge and doubted the statement.
The Dasana family in order to divert attention from the heightened tension caused by the Security Council responded to the development but in a compromising tone playing down the validity of the rival family claim and scrambled in order to uncover the true intent of the claim of Regent instalment.
Osman Kiika, spokesman for the Dasana family said they were already in talks with heads of the
Regional Security Council and the district intelligence team and would preferred to wait until they hear from the decision makers.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Eliasu Tanko
