The Mahami Family in Dagbon, a defunct royal gate in the Yendi chieftaincy rotation system, has renewed its longstanding protest against the continued exclusion of the family from presenting candidates for the position of Ya-Naa (Overlord of Dagbon State), despite occupying one of the three mandatory royal gate skins eligible for the post.
The Mahami Family are descendants of the third son of Ya- Naa Yakubu I who is said to be founder of modern Dagbon. It is said that Naa Yakubu had three ambitious princes during his reign between 1799 -1839.
They were; Naa Abdulai (Abudu gate), Naa Andani (Andani gate), and Naa Mahami, in order of seniority. In the later part of Naa Yakubu’s reign, he became senile and was almost incapable to deliver his mandates.
The children conspired and killed a powerful and feared nephew of their father, Yelizoli Lana Lagfu who posed a serious threat to their inheritance, the constitution of Dagbon, which hitherto preserved the skins of Yani (Yendi) to all sons of a Yaa- Na, was amended.
The amendment limited eligibility to the skins of Yani to those Yanahibi (children of a Yaa Na) occupying the “gate skins” of Karaga, Savelugu and Mion.
This amendment was to eradicate the bitter, and sometimes bloody, contests amongst Yanabihi to the skins of Yendi (Yani). In the heat of the struggles, Naa Abdulai (Abudu) and Naa Andani were able to occupy Mion and Savelugu after they moved from Tampion and Nyon, respectively.
Naa Mahami, the third son, could not ascend to any of the three gate skins and remained at Korli, a village near present day Zabzugu, where he ruled until his death.
On the death of Naa Yakubu I, Naa Abdulai (Abudu) became the regent and later enskined Yaa Na to succeed his father as a first son, Naa Andani was promoted to Savelugu, making him next Yaa Na awaiting. Their brother, Korli Naa Mahami, however, never lived to occupy a gate and never rose to became Ya- Naa.
Thus, the third gate that would have been formed became extinct and since no child could rise higher than his father, the descendants of Naa Mahami were limited to skins at par with Korli after his death.
The Supreme court also later ruled, further limiting the eligibility to the three gate skins of Savelugu, Mion, and Karaga to only direct sons of Naa Abudu and Naa Andani, marking the beginning of the current rotation between the two royal gates that has also been in bitter dispute until recently.
-Family Claims
Since Naa Mahami could not occupy any of the gate skins and never became a Yaa Na, the Karaga gate skin was offered to his sons as an appeasement by his brothers, Naa Abudu and Andani. The Mahami gate has therefore ruled the Karaga skin up till date, starting from Kari Naa Bukari Mahami to Kari Naa Mahami Adam, leaving Savelugu and Mion for the Abudu and Andani Families.
However, following the recent mediation works by the Asantehene led committee of Eminent Kings that resolved the renewed Dagbon chieftaincy dispute, the Mahami Family has come out for the first time, since known history, to express worry over what it termed as a total neglect of the Mahamiyili (Mahami gate) by all people and institution assigned the responsibility of resolving Dagbon chieftaincy problem.
Speaking at a press organised on Sunday, April 21, 2019, as part of activities marking one year anniversary of the death of Kari Naa Mahama Adam, the family used the opportunity to address and clarify its relationship with the Abudu and Andani gates and the circumstance that led to its reluctant occupation of the Karaga skin for 120yrs now.
The event was held at the chief palace in Karaga, attended by almost all the over 18 sub and divisional chiefs in the paramountcy, including the chief of Sang and Nakung, and chaired by regent of Karaga, Naa Sumani Mahama.
The family bemoaned that, the Dagbon problem, over the years, has always been looked at as a conflict between Abudu and Andani gates, and the subject of contention, the family said, has always been the rightful person between the two, to occupy the Yani Nam as Yaa Na, adding that, the dispute has always been about a protest raised by one of the two gates whenever the national political environment is suitable.
“Protest from either of the two gates have always resulted in attempts by sitting governments to try to resolve the issues using special vehicles such as Commissions or Committee of inquiry. We can recall the Nii Amaa Ollenu Commission of 1960s and the Nene Azu Matekorle Committee of the 1970s. Then came the Wuaku Commission in 2000 set up after the insane and barbaric murder of Naa Yakubu II.”, the family said at the gathering attended by chiefs and members of the Mahami family, recounting further a long legal battle between the Abudus and Andanis that ended up in the Supreme court in late 1980s, and also the recent Committee of Eminent Chiefs in 2000.
According to the family, its worry has been that, it has never been part of the litigation involving the two, though it had always tried to intervene by offering objective and good counsel at home and whenever necessary.
Even more worrying, the family adds, is the fact that without cross examination from committees and commissions set up by government at all times, the recommendations and conclusions thereof always sustained the reliefs sought by one of the two gates, implementation of such recommendations eventually affect Mahamiyili negatively.
Blaming the situation on what they called the constant lack of central authority in Dagbon, the Mahami family accused the Abudu and Andani gates of a deliberate conspiracy, using the wide range public relations accompanying their feud, to relegate the Mahami gate as the third legitimate gate that can aspire to the Yani Nam.
“They have done by setting rules that are alien to Dagban tradition and going ahead to implement same in order to throw Mahamiyili out of Dagbang royalty”, the family noted. “Being a peace loving family that yearn for the sustenance of the rich of Dagbang tradition and culture we have lent support to both sides at all times with the motive to unite Dagbang Kingdom.”
“Unfortunately, our reward to embracing peace is now being misinterpreted as a weakness and our brothers have never missed an opportunity to push us, Mahamiyili to the periphery and towards relegation from the Yeni Nam; this has led the two families to conduct themselves as if we are not the progeny or direct descendants of Naa Yakuba I”.
-Declarations
Lamenting once again over the failure of the Committee of the Three Eminent Kings to include the Mahami gate in its over 16yrs peace talks that produced a roadmap or peace plan for the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute, the Mahami family claims, “it has learnt with dismay that the roadmap currently been implemented will have take away the Karaga Skin from the Mahamiyili and hand same to one of the two gates”.
“This is a dangerous move by Yaa Naa Abukari”, the family cautioned, “It will be one unbearable push too far”!
The family has therefore served notice that it will resist any attempt to push them off the Karaga Skin and paramountcy, reminding stakeholders of how similar moves in the 1980s disturbed the peace in the Karaga paramountcy.
“We will do will do so by deploying all the legitimate options open to us. The greed and avarice, referring to the Abudu and Andani gates – is getting too much for us to bear and we just cannot cope anymore. Such a move referred to above will be fiercely resisted and fought against until the last person in Mahamiyili drops”.
This demand, according to experts, present a real threat to the Dagbon chieftaincy rotation system which has been between the two royal Abudu and Andani gates since 1858. It is also said to be a new challenge to the administration of the new Yaa Na Bukari Mahama II, an Andani royal, whose authority is being threatened by youth agitations in Nanton allegedly instigated and fuelled by a former northern region chairman of NP, Chief of Zosali Naa Haruna Tia Sulemana
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Eliasu Tanko
