The elder son of the late Nakpaa Salifu Dawuni has said he would assume the role as Regent of Bimbila from today, Friday, October 20, 2017, when the final rite of his father will be over.
Speaking at a dual purpose ceremony held on Wednesday at the palace of the Dawuni family, Sunglana Yussif Salifu Dawuni who appeared aggressive and confrontational, ardently implored the crowd that had gathered, for prayers and support in what he called his struggle to “rule the Bimbila Traditional Area”.
The aim of the ceremony was, first to observe Islamic prayers for the soul of the late Nakpaa who was buried last Wednesday after his body had been caged for three years and to publicly outdoor the “new Regent” — who was also controversially enskinned a day after the burial to the ‘world’.
At his first public address, Sunglana in a bold and commanding tone thanked the “NPP government” and its “Ministers” for helping his family to finally bury the late Nakpaa Salifu and also to begin the process of getting his replacement.
Sunglana Yussif Dawuni in the brief remarks was high sounding, thanking other stakeholders, family members, well-wishers, sympathizers before taking an offensive jibe at the rival Andani family.
“Now that my father is buried, God willing, on Friday, the funeral will be over. When the funeral is over, everything is now in my hands. I need God’s assistance and help to take charge of Bimbila land, in the name of grandfathers”.
He continues “my grandfathers were the custodian of Bimbila and handed over to my father and it’s my turn now. The one talking -referring to the rival faction — has no traditional ancestral lineage. My grandparents are bigger than his and therefore, it is our grandfathers who would help me to ‘rule’ Bimbila” , Sunglana Dawuni declared, amidst spontaneous public cheers.
His explosive remarks shot the chieftaincy tensions which have been simmering since last week to a tipping point especially as it was in defiance with the Security Council order and the fact Bimbila already has a recognized regent.
The tensions built up on Wednesday when the Northern Regional minister, Salifu Saeed, in his capacity as head of Security Council, ordered the burial of the late Nakpaa Naa Salifu who laid claim to the Bimbila skin.
It escalated further next day when reports of gunshots during an enskinment were heard. That incident alone sent the spokesman of the Andani family, Osman Kiika flying from Accra to Bimbila for another press conference where he blamed the Defense Minister and MP for the area, Dominic Nitwul and the Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed for the tensions.
The Security Council decision was part of attempts to forge unity between members of Gbugmayili gate — Naa Salifu Andani Dasana and Nakpaa Naa Salifu Dawuni — who have stayed divided after confusion over who to represent the family for the Bimbila skin.
The decision infuriated the Andani family – now the ruling faction — who roundly in abusive tirade blasted some elements in the NPP government for advancing an agenda and said the decision will spark another violence.
The Regent told StarrNews the decision was in fulfilment of “somebody’s political promise” he had made during campaign platforms.
The Minority in Parliament fanned the tensions when they organized a press briefing accusing government of meddling in the chieftaincy affairs after two already by the Andani family.
Minority spokesperson on Defence and Interior, James Agalga warned government that miscalculation will have devastating effects on the already ruined town and advised to “tread cautiously” avoiding political interference.
The late Nakpaa Naa family responded to the claims by both NDC party and the Andani family branding them “enemies of progress and peace polluting the media landscape calculated at undermining the peaceful burial”.
In the series of responses, the Dawuni family denied firing sporadic shots during the eskinment process explaining it was a deliberate plot by the other faction to create and impression of lack of peace and security in the area.
They went ahead to chronicled past but chilling events where they claimed the Andani family had violently engaged them without any provocation.
To embolden their claims, they said, in 1993, two attempts were made on the life of their father during his days at Nakpa and all his belongings torched when he won a court verdict challenging his eligibility be the Nakpa Naa.
They described the allegations against the NPP government as “frivolous” and said rather that, the NDC influenced the dispute and was responsible for all the violence in the area.
“What the government has simply done which the NDC failed to do, is to respect the fundamental human rights of a citizen of this country in the person of His Royal Highness, late Naa Salifu: a right to be buried in his hometown and in his house, which he was denied under very bizzare circumstances under the led administration”, Mustapha Amadu read the statement.
The family concluded the statement reiterating it’s firm ties with the original custodian of the land and said it will be intimated by any form.
“we wish to state without fear or favor that Nanung is a collective possession of all Nanumbas and we are part of the Gbugmayili family who equally have a right to the inheritance bequeathed to all of us by our great grandfathers. Any mindset held by our opponents that there standard of truth about the history of Nanung must be measured by their standards should be disregarded unconditionally”, the Wednesday gathering laid bared the evil machinations of politicians in chieftaincy matters.
Source:Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/Eliasu Tanko
